Six candidates are contesting the Bournemouth East parliamentary seat. They are:
Tobias Ellwood, Conservative
Tobias Ellwood was elected as MP for Bournemouth East in May 2005. He is currently Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with special responsibility for the Middle East and North Africa.
Email: erlandsenl@parliament.uk
Website: tobiasellwood.com
Twitter: @tobias_ellwood
Facebook: facebook.com/TobiasEllwood
He answered the Echo's seven questions as follows:
Why did you decide to stand in this election?
As a Minister in this last Government I am pleased to see the difficult decisions taken over the last five years have led to Britain now growing faster than any country in Europe, record employment controlled inflation, and the halving of our deficit. Locally I have been involved with improving our schools, securing funds for infra-structure projects, developing the digital economy and protecting our environment. It has been an honour to represent the Bournemouth East constituency since 2005 and a privilege to serve residents of this attractive and popular seaside town. Both locally and nationally much has been achieved but there is still much more to do and I would very much like to earn the support of voters on May 7th to continue this work.
What do you believe the key issues of this election to be?
The economy is the critical issue and this election is about a fundamental choice between the Conservatives and building on the stability and security of the last five years, or Labour and higher taxes, higher borrowing - essentially the very things that got Britain into such a mess in the first place. With a strong economy we can reduce taxes to support businesses in creating jobs. We can meet our spending commitments to the NHS, education, our blue light services, and increased pensions as well as provide support to those in genuine need. The next government will also need to address our relationship with the EU and introduce more robust immigration policies.
Locally we must leverage our potential in developing the digital economy to compliment the size of our financial service and tourism sectors. We must protect our environment including saying no to the Navitus Bay wind farm. And we must give powers to the council to close down any unregistered drug rehabilitation facilities.
Where do you stand on renewable energy, fracking and climate change?
The security of the UK's energy supply is critical for our economic recovery. We came perilously close to seeing the lights go off under the last government. I have always been supportive of renewable energy sources which are sited in appropriate locations. I believe more research should be targeted towards harnessing nuclear fusion and tidal power. Wind energy makes an important contribution to the energy mix but it is currently heavily subsidised. Given that there are finite resources to build a limited number of off-shore wind farms, they should be located off parts of Britain where their impact would be welcomed and not in areas where they could significantly impact on tourism.
In the UK fracking is a relatively new concept which has the potential to to make a significant contribution to our ever growing energy needs. If research shows that the process can be achieved safely and with little impact on local communities, then I believe it is something we should consider. However, the research into the benefits and/or risks would need to be thorough and residents near any potential sites would need to be fully consulted and educated on the facts around fracking before any decisions were made.
What do you believe could be done to improve the housing situation in Dorset?
The Coalition government introduced a number of measures to:
* encourage house building
* support first time buyers through the 'help to buy scheme'
* Promote councils to replenish their housing stock.
It's fair to say increased immigration has also placed an additional burden on our housing stock. A Conservative government would ensure migrants from the EU are sent home if they cannot find work after six months and no migrant can receive any benefits until they have been working here for at least four years.
I think it is important that more homes are built to raise the supply levels - this is something the Conservatives have more widely pledged to do if elected on May 7th, alongside measures to enable more young people to buy their first home and break the rental cycle. I also think it is important that housing quality is properly monitored and tackled - something Bournemouth Council has been doing on a smaller scale for the last few years through 'Operation Galaxy' where poor quality homes and landlords in the Boscombe area have been targeted and investigated. On average, following these inspections landlords have made around £500 worth of improvements per property, and I believe expanding this programme in the future would be very helpful.
The other issue would be the availability of social housing. There are over 3,500 people on the waiting list for social housing in Bournemouth, yet of the properties the council has registered for social housing, only around 400 become vacant and available for re-rent each year. It is important not just to build more social housing, but to encourage more local landlords to take on tenants on the housing register to ease the current pressures for council housing.
What three things do you think should be done to improve education provision in Dorset?
I am pleased to see robust changes such as increased disciplinary powers to head teachers, school infrastructure improvements, greater vigour in exams and the role out of the academy programme has reaped dividends. Two excellent examples are the Bishop of Winchester School (formerly Summerbee) and the Jewell Academy (formerly Townsend school). We must also continue to protect the schools budget; Bournemouth East needs a new primary school to take the burden off class sizes and extra entry forms, something the pledges in the Conservative manifesto will address in allowing for more free schools to be built where there is sufficient community need.
Finally, I am incredibly supportive of new initiatives to focus on maths, engineering, science and computing skills in schools. Bournemouth already has some fantastic courses in digital and technical fields that produce top-class graduates every year. Further funding and improvements to teach these skills to school children in Dorset will not only be beneficial to the students themselves but also to growing Bournemouth's booming digital economy which needs more local employees with these kinds of skills to continue expanding.
How would you tackle the issue of mental health provision in Dorset?
The challenge of adequate bed spaces is serious. A number of constituents have expressed concerns about vulnerable mental health patients being treated as far away as Bradford due to a lack of appropriate residential support facilities in the local area. It can often be very destabilising to someone with such difficulties to be moved so far away from their support network. I would therefore encourage more thought to be given to increasing our bed capacity for these services in Bournemouth and the wider Dorset area.
In addition, having an inter-connected service where GPs and hospital doctors can directly refer a patient in for mental health treatment, and who are then notified when they are released so ongoing support can be offered, would be very valuable. I was pleased to hear of the Government's recent pledge to bring back 'named GPs' for elderly patients to ensure consistent support - perhaps the same approach could be adopted for vulnerable adults with mental health problems (which are often very complex in nature) to ensure that they are monitored and supported by the same GP throughout diagnosis, treatment and release.
What’s your “red line” policy?
Politics is supposed to be about the art of the possible. The concept of red lines in relation elections is a new one and there is every possibility that all the major parties state so many that compromise is impossible to reach. I favour a majority Conservative government. Given that there are so many undecided voters and only a few thousand votes spread across the 23 seats that are needed to secure a majority, then anything could happen. I do believe we need an educated debate and referendum on Britain's relationship with the EU so this generation (just as we saw in the 70's) can give all politicians a clear message as to where we stand.
David Hughes, Ukip
Ukip candidate David Hughes is a former electrical retailer who sold his business in 1996 and is an active member of his local church.
Website: https://ukipbournemouth.com/about-us/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ukipbournemouth
Email: dnhughes@btinternet.com
Alasdair Keddie, Green
Green candidate Alasdair Keddie has lived in the area for more than 20 years. His background is in IT and business. He is a self-employed consultant working on open source software projects.
Website: http://sedorset.greenparty.org.uk/
Facebook: facebook.com/AlasdairKeddieBmth
Twitter: @alasdairkeddie
Jon Nicholas, Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrat Jon Nicholas was born in Redditch and grew up in Hampshire and the US. He lives in Bournemouth with his wife Madina and their two small boys.
Website: libdems.org.uk/jon_nicholas
Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008585260569
Email: jonnicholas@orange.net
He answered the Echo's #sevenquestions as follows:
Why did you decide to stand in this election?
I know the area very well having first moved here in 1985, I feel Bournemouth has become centralised, and fails to celebrate its artistic and cultural potential properly.
We can and must diversify our economy in ways that engage and support everyone who lives here. There is too much disparity, the fact that malnutrition and poor dental health is evident in schools that are 20 minutes away from some of the most expensive property in Europe is simply wrong, a disgrace.
What do you believe the key issues of this election to be?
The environment, our dependence on fossil fuels astounds me. Europe, we of all towns in Britain should understand the value and importance (not merely financially) of us staying in the Union and embracing it fully whilst shaping it for the common good.
Where do you stand on renewable energy, fracking and climate change?
Renewable energy, offers us a cleaner future, free dependence on fuel providers in areas where human rights are not heeded. You can not pluck carbon back from the air, or indeed undo the pain and mayhem caused by oil and gas conflict, but you can dismantle a turbine if looking at it becomes too unbearable.
The science and consequences of fracking are too unsure for us to risk experimentation, especially as viable renewable options can be explored.
What do you believe could be done to improve the housing situation in Dorset?
We must refuse to sell housing association stock and use some brown field sites to build a mix of low cost and social housing. Proper partnerships with construction firms are needed
What three things do you think should be done to improve education provision in Dorset?
Start ensuring that all schools are equally good, thus stopping over subscription to certain schools.
Also I would like to see measures put in place that ensure that those teaching in a school, state sector or otherwise either have or are in the process of obtaining a recognised teaching qualification.
Thirdly, one of the main factors as I see it that prevents attainment for some pupils is social and economic disparity in Bournemouth. Some children in the Borough are left
behind because of poverty and to some degree neglect. Schools should be supported in dealing with this. As a generality teachers are currently overburdened with nonteaching tasks, I would like to see this reversed so that more contact between teachers and pupils is created, thus making opportunities to be sensitive to and address issues which may be preventing or slowing development. I often think that Bournemouth's education provision focuses attention on the well off and able. The fact that we have schools that parents avoid is deplorable.
How would you tackle the issue of mental health provision in Dorset?
We need first to remove the stigma, this is slowly happening. In line with Lib Dem policy , I fully support the notion that speed of referral for mental health and physical health issues should have parity. I would also like to see more outreach on this is in communities and schools. My working activity frequently puts me in to contact with people affected by MH issues. Early intervention , not only is ethical, it saves much cost and pain.
What’s your “red line” policy?
Personally, any further erosion of front line services, be they social or health orientated, is to be avoided, this can be prevented if we tax fairly.
David Ross, Bournemouth Independent Alliance
David Ross was born in Poole. He was also founder member and president of the Poole Bay Rotary Club.
Website: http://bia.voting/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bournemouth-Independent-Alliance/1397437250546584
Twitter: @davidrossBE
He answered the Echo's seven questions as follows:
Why did you decide to stand in this election?
To unseat Tobias Ellwood, who has not done a good job as our Constituency MP
What do you believe the key issues of this election to be?
1. Europe
2. The deficit and the National Debt
Where do you stand on renewable energy, fracking and climate change?
We should spend serious money on developing Nuclear Fusion (clean and safe Nuclear). Current investment is a pathetic joke and it is set to take another 50 years to develop.
I am a Climate Change sceptic, I am wary of the vested interests that have jumped on that bandwagon
There is nothing wrong in developing clean energy and I have always wanted to save the planet, but we are blundering about whilst China pollutes the World - remember, when we buy cheap goods from them (we all do!) we are exporting our pollution to them.
What do you believe could be done to improve the housing situation in Dorset?
We don’t need rich foreigners to buy up Bournemouth - that will force prices up as has happened in London and Sandbanks!
Build, build, build! Look around at how many "Thirties houses" there are, and you can see what a housebuilding programme should look like - they knew what they were doing back then.
What three things do you think should be done to improve education provision in Dorset?
If I were an expert on education I would tell you, and as an independent I am not peddling a Party Line.
I am glad that our two towns have retained their Grammar Schools and I would allow new ones to be set up. Social mobility has nosedived since well meaning people changed education in the Sixties - how many ordinary people are in the Cabinet these days?
If elected I will throw your question out for consultation to voters on my website Forum as there ARE plenty of experts within our population
How would you tackle the issue of mental health provision in Dorset?
I know a little about this through a client. I am concerned that local government officials wield too much influence - we should get back to trusting professionals, who seem to have been able to arrange provision well enough.
What’s your “red line” policy?
A free and fairly run referendum on membership of the European Union. If we decide to stay in, it will be a new settlement, made by the current generation, to replace the one people like me thought we made when we entered the Common Market.
Peter Stokes, Labour
Labour candidate Peter grew up locally started his working life with British Railways. He also worked for seven years in the underground mining industry in Australia before returning to the UK to work in the oil and gas drilling industry.
Website: bournemouthlabour.org
Facebook: facebook.com/BournemouthLabour
Read his election leaflet by clicking the link: P.Stokes election address.pdf
He answered the Echo's #sevenquestions as follows:
Why did you decide to stand in this election?
To elect a Labour Government that will help all people and not just the privilege few.
What do you believe the key issues of this election to be?
- NHS, putting people before profit.
- Immigration, tighter border controls,
- Women's issues, ending the gender pay gap.
- Banning zero hours contracts,
- An economy that works for everyone.
Where do you stand on renewable energy, fracking and climate change?
- We must invest/research more in renewable energy (tidal power),
- Tighter controls required for fracking,
- Invest in low carbon technologies and prioritise flood prevention.
What do you believe could be done to improve the housing situation in Dorset?
New/Amend laws required to end Land Banks and build more local authority housing.
What three things do you think should be done to improve education provision in Dorset?
- Banning the use of unqualified teachers
- Reduce university fees to £6k a year
- Bring schools back under control of the local education authority.
How would you tackle the issue of mental health provision in Dorset?
We must give mental health the priority it deserves by given it parity with physical health, ensure all NHS staff training includes mental health and reverse the Tories budget cuts to children's mental heath services.
What’s your “red line” policy?
NHS & Renationalisation of the railways.
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