ELECTION 2015: Meet the candidates - New Forest East

Julian Lewis, Conservative

“ALTHOUGH the coalition Government has made good progress in reducing the deficit, cutting income tax, capping the welfare budget, creating jobs and apprenticeships and reforming education, I have sometimes had to vote against it – for instance, when helping to prevent the privatisation of Britain’s forests, including the New Forest, opposing the trebling of student tuition fees, forcing the Conservatives to promise an in/out referendum on the EU, preserving the expertise of the House of Lords and defeating the dangerous proposal to attack the Syrian government.

“My high-profile local campaigns have included continuing to monitor and oppose any moves to develop Dibden Bay as a container port, fighting to preserve our mental health services and our community hospitals, helping to prevent the fluoridation – without local consent – of Totton’s water supply, preserving Cranleigh Paddock Dementia Unit in Lyndhurst and ensuring that Marchwood residents’ views about the future of the military port were strongly conveyed to defence ministers.”

Bruce Tennent, Liberal Democrat

“I AM passionate about people, the community and social justice. If I am elected MP my priority will be the people of the New Forest.

“Westminster politics will come second. Since I was selected as the prospective parliamentary candidate, I and my team have knocked on well over half the doors in the constituency, asking about the issues that are important to residents.

“In Fawley affordable housing and better bus services are what people want but above all they want an improved A326, which would attract potential employers to the area.

"In Hythe they want Hythe Hospital rebuilt and the Waterside railway used for passenger services.

“Marchwood residents want to be consulted about the future of the military port.

"They fear a Scottish government-owned company will take over the running of the facility in the autumn and run a commercial operation that will result in 100s of HGV movements.

“In Totton people want an end to the congestion on the Redbridge Causeway to the Rushington roundabout.”

Sally May, Green Party

“FOOD banks and payday lenders have become a normal part of life due to high housing costs, low wages and welfare cuts.

"A forgotten generation of young people have their lives on hold as they are unable to find work, with many burdened with debts from tuition fees.

"Whilst the rich have been largely unaffected, the poor have borne the brunt of austerity.

“We are told that we cannot afford to pay for proper care of the elderly, and doctors warn that the financial crisis in the NHS may soon lead to charges for the most basic healthcare.

"Meanwhile, we plan to spend billions on Trident – weapons we cannot morally use.

“But it doesn’t have to be like this. We will end austerity, increase the minimum wage to a living wage, build 500,000 new social rented homes and restore the NHS to its founding principles, with no public money going to private profits.

“The Green Party has the policies to create an economy that gives everyone their fair share, a society that supports everyone’s needs, and a planet that is protected from climate change, now and for generations to come.”

Roy Swales, UKIP

“THIS country is not easy to live in. About 900,000 people rely on food banks, welfare and benefits suffer due to cuts, with £12 billion more to come from welfare alone.

“Fuel and living bills rising, servicemen and women living on the streets with nowhere to turn.

"The Government betrayed the covenant, but invested in projects like HS2 which has cost us £950m already and not a piece of track laid yet.

“The EU controls what we can and cannot do and over-regulate us to the advantage of other members.

"But there is hope on the horizon, it will make things better for the citizens of this great nation.

"That hope is UKIP’s influence in Government to hold their feet to the fire for real change and a referendum before 2017.

“If we fail to leave before then we are stuck. I don’t want French gendarmes enforcing EU laws here. This nation’s strength has always been as an island state and I wish it to remain so.

“A vote for me is a vote for real change. Politics needs to change and it needs to change now. Cast your vote for me to bring that change. I believe in Britain. I hope you will too.”

Andrew Pope, Labour

“ONLY Labour has a manifesto for the Forest, which we’ve been working hard to deliver – saving the isolated Calshot polling station from Tory closure, campaigning hard against plans for two drive-through restaurants at Rushington roundabout, promoting affordable housing for local people, protecting community pubs such as the Anchor Inn at Eling and Fleur de Lys at Pilley, and leading the campaign for a living wage for people working for local employers.

“We will build a strong economic foundation and balance the books, cutting the deficit every year. None of our manifesto pledges require additional borrowing.

"The Tories have accumulated more debt in five years than Labour did in 13 years of Government. We will build an NHS with the Time to Care Fund, via mansion tax, levy on tobacco companies and crackdown on tax avoidance.

"We will also scrap Tory privatisation and deliver the new Hythe Hospital.

“We will also tackle the cost of living crisis by scrapping the bedroom tax, banning exploitative zero hours contracts, cutting tuition fees by £3,000 and promoting the living wage.”