Enfield Southgate parliamentary candidates have set out why they should be elected at the next General Election.
Bambos Charalambous, Parag Shah, Rob Wilson, David Burrowes and Luke Balnave will all stand for their respective parties for the Election on December 12.
Below is what each candidate had to say ahead of the election.
Bambos Charalambous - Labour
"In 2017 I was elected on the promise of being effective and accessible. I have kept my word. I have held 120 advice surgeries and completed 16,000 cases for constituents.
"My time as Enfield Southgate’s MP has made things clear:
• Tory austerity has led to rising violent crime. Parents in our community have serious concerns about the safety of their children.
• Head teachers tell me that cuts have forced staff losses and narrowed the curriculum.
• Tory cuts to Enfield Council are dangerous and unsustainable.
• Our NHS faces yet another winter crisis whilst being cut to the bone and constituents cannot get GP appointments.
• Many people cannot afford their own home, either to rent or buy.
• Pollution and climate change need immediate action.
• The Tory Brexit shambles has divided us.
"We need urgent action to restore our police. We need re-investment in our public services to reverse a decade of Tory austerity. We must build truly affordable homes and give tenants better rights. We must make the UK carbon neutral with Labour’s green industrial revolution with sustainable jobs to kick-start our economy.
"I believe we are better off in the EU and I have consistently voted in Parliament to represent the majority view in Enfield Southgate. We must bring the country back together, have a final say referendum and give people the option to remain in the EU.
"The stakes couldn’t be higher. Only Labour can reunite us. A vote for me is a vote for real change in Enfield Southgate.
Parag Shah - Brexit Party
"I’m the son of immigrants, local to Southgate since age 4. I was a doctor at Chase Farm A/E. To me, B-R-EX-I-T stands for: British Renewal with Excellence, Integrity and Trust; qualities which politicians of all parties lost over recent decades; the era of reds and blues. Brexit brings opportunity to regain balance in British society and honour in politics - a chance to change. As community, we must balance care in cooperation, while embracing chance-taking. This balance guides my vision to take CARE LOCALLY…
• To heal our dear NHS hospitals and GPs to serve you better, free when needed.
• For safe streets & strong community with shared values & spirit instead of crime.
• So all children are safe, loved, fed & flourishing; to survive, thrive & empathise.
• To tackle crime by boosting police numbers and stations.
• To rebuild our housing system and communities to end homelessness.
• To keep high streets thriving against online sales
• For our future & climate with CO2 capture & great green public transport.
• To end chaos with roads and bin collections
And take our chance NATIONALLY…
• To be free of EU bureaucrats; regain control to achieve these things and global opportunities. That includes easy travel and opportunities in Europe."
David Burrowes - Conservative
"I want to be your next Member of Parliament because I love my community, which I have lived in all my life with my family, and we need a stronger voice.
"Over the last two years out of Parliament, like you, I have been dismayed at the state of politics and believe we have been let down by politicians, caring more about their own views and interests rather than the national interest.
"I have a record of delivering nationally and locally for you. Such as introducing mandatory knife crime sentencing, and securing £120,000,000 to re-develop Chase Farm Hospital.
"You also need a stronger voice on local issues. I am opposing plans for a 17 storey tower block in Southgate, and hundreds of flats on Arnos Grove and Cockfosters station car parks, and road closures in Fox Lane area.
"The choice at the election is clear: A vote for Labour’s candidate as Corbyn’s whip, or any other Party, is a vote for a Corbyn Government; for more uncertainty and Brexit delay, more debt, higher taxes and fewer jobs.
"Please support me to help us deliver more together, moving our country forward beyond Brexit, and getting on with issues that matter to our community."
Luke Balnave - Green Party
"We need a new approach to politics that prioritises people and planet over pander and profit. Greens offer just this choice.
"I grew up in Enfield and now live and work here. I am a passionate localist and environmentalist. I work in education at a state secondary, have two daughters and stand to secure a future of opportunity for the next generation in Enfield Southgate. This has never been more at risk.
"If elected I will oppose anything that threatens this future; from air pollution produced by ring roads and new incinerators, to the threat of climate change. I will champion fair funding for local schools; make the case for better local transport, and support local businesses with innovative green technologies. I will also seek to defend and enhance our fantastic green spaces that make Enfield Southgate a healthy and happy place to live.
"Only Green Party policy reflects the crisis we face. Greens have the right ideas to deliver a better future for all. Help us secure this future now. #VoteGreen2019 #ClimateElection."
Rob Wilson - Liberal Democrat
"I am standing because our Liberal Democrat manifesto will make a real positive difference to our lives in Enfield Southgate. Our policies will bring provision of free childcare from 9 months, address the climate emergency, deliver proper NHS funding, create parity between mental and physical health, give every adult £10,000 to spend on training throughout their lives and stop Brexit.
"But we are nothing if we and our families are not safe. Knife crime is becoming normalised, this is wrong and must end. Even Sadiq Khans former policing advisor has quit the Labour party and joined the Liberal Democrats due to the failure to grasp and stop knife crime. We will fight knife crime by taking a public health approach, properly funding local police and reopening our local police stations.
"The world has changed from two years ago. Many former Conservative and Labour voters are telling us that this time they are voting Liberal Democrat. We can win.
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