As Cornwall prepares to go to the polls for the second general election in just over two years, the Packet has been speaking to local candidates to find out their positions on the key issues of the day.

We spoke to candidates for the St Ives constituency, covering Helston, and asked them a series of general questions and something specific to their party.

We asked them what they would do for local people to: ensure the supply of affordable homes; increase levels of employment and a fair wage; ensure funding and support post-Brexit, and guarantee rights currently protected by Europe; help people with mental health problems; adequately fund and staff the NHS; and provide adequate policing.

Here are their responses:

Christopher Drew, Labour.

On housing: "Being able to afford a home is a problem for many people across west Cornwall and Scilly. Labour will build 100,000 new, genuinely affordable homes every year across the country as well as strengthening rights for those who rent from private landlords. As your MP, I will make housing for our communities one of my top priorities, making sure that we get the affordable homes we need in the towns and villages where they are most needed."

On employment: "Cornwall has a bad reputation as a 'low-wage' area. This must change. Labour will increase the minimum wage to match the real living wage of £10 per hour by 2020, boosting the local economy and providing greater security for working people. We will also generate new jobs by investing in research and infrastructure which would both benefit west Cornwall and Scilly greatly. Cornwall can and should be at the forefront of developments in the green economy, developing new renewable energy resources and providing high skilled, well paid jobs for local people."

On post-Brexit funding: "Labour will negotiate a Brexit that focuses on jobs and workers' rights. We will make sure there is no drop in structural funding through to 2020 and make sure Cornwall and Scilly aren't affected by the loss of EU funds until at least 2022. I will stand up for local people working in our farming and fishing industries by supporting continued EU market access and making sure Brexit isn't used as an excuse to undercut local industries and flood Britain’s food chain with cheap and inferior produce. Under Labour, there will be no rolling back of key rights and protections that benefit people across the UK."

On mental health: "I think it is disgraceful that, under the Tories, the number of mental health nurses has fallen by over 6,000 nationwide. Labour will ring-fence mental health budgets, invest in early intervention and improve mental health provision in schools. Mental health must be given the same priority as physical health in order to truly help those who need it in our communities.

On the NHS: "Our local NHS has become more and more overstretched under the Conservatives. Labour will put our health services back on the right track, investing £30bn over the course of the next Parliament. We will also restore the nurses' bursary so that we can guarantee adequate staffing levels across the NHS whilst investing in long term modernisation of NHS facilities to ensure the very best treatment for everyone who needs it.

On policing: "In the last year alone, crime in west Cornwall rose by over nine per cent and violent crimes have been increasing in our communities for a number of years. The Conservative party have cut over 600 police officers from Devon and Cornwall Police. Labour will hire 10,000 more police officers nationwide to help reduce crime rates and make sure people feel safer in their towns and villages.

Asked about allegations Jeremy Corbyn would make a weak Prime Minister, he said: "The choice in this election is clear. You can vote for a Tory government, that continues to cut public services and threatens pensions or you can vote for a Labour government that invests in our local communities, standing up for ordinary people across the country. The real show of weakness has come from Theresa May who has refused to do interviews with local journalists, refused to debate Jeremy Corbyn and who has already made a number of U-turns on her uncosted manifesto. Only Labour is strong enough to show up and speak out for the interests of people in Cornwall and Scilly."

Andrew George, Liberal Democrat.

On housing: "The present system favours property/land speculators and second home investors to the detriment of local families in housing need. I understand what needs to be done to tip the balance the other way. It won’t be easy. There are massive vested interests - supported by the Conservatives - working to maintain this status quo.

"I led the campaign in Parliament to remove the Conservative council tax discount for second home owners... I’ve also led other campaigns to put need above greed in the planning system.

"The Liberal Democrats have added a further plan for a rent-to-own scheme."

On employment: "I’ll fight to protect Cornwall from a damaging and shambolic Brexit (I am not calling for a second referendum - that cannot happen). I’ll continue to seek growth sectors which provide year round well paid work, like satellite communications and space research at Goonhilly. I’ll call local businesses and employers together to establish a post-Brexit economic strategy for Helston and the Lizard to forge a way forward together. Liberal Democrats will lift the cap on public sector pay [including police and nurses] and back a real living wage for all."

On post-Brexit funding: "I was a member of the board which secured this aid before I was first elected.

"I always put Cornwall on the map in parliament. I have always put the best interests of Cornwall above party loyalty. Someone needs to tell Theresa May that she won’t secure a successful outcome if she spends all her time doing megaphone diplomacy from the steps of Downing Street."

On mental health: "We’ve already made clear where the spending priorities would be, and mental health is one which would receive disproportionately more support to help these services catch up."

On the NHS: "The Conservatives want Cornwall to cut £270 million from our NHS by 2020. The Conservative candidate supports this plan. I oppose it. If I don’t win the Conservative does. I’m a national NHS campaigner and will press for the funding we need and to fight to protect our local services.

"To save the NHS we would increase income tax by a penny in the pound.

"I have been the parliamentary lead for the national Safe Staffing Alliance and will always push for safe registered nurse to patient ratios."

On policing: "Part of the funds raised by reversing the Conservative slashing of corporation tax on large businesses and multinationals is to provide the extra funds needed to help our police service. We’d add an extra £300 million to increase community policing, scrap the waste of Police and Crime Commissioners."

Asked if the party was still tainted by five years of coalition government and its capitulation over tuition fees, he said: "Look at my record. I didn’t buckle. I kept my promises. I resisted and voted against the worst excesses of the Conservatives - ie against tuition fee rises, against the damaging Health and Social Care Act, against the nasty bedroom tax. Mind you I also voted against the Labour government’s student tuition fees and against them then tripling them, against their damaging policies opening the NHS up to private companies, against their war in Iraq and the many other things they’d rather you all forget.

"Tainted? I don’t think I am. People here need someone who stands up for their principles and for the best interests of the place they represent, and who doesn’t loyally do their party’s bidding when they’re out of sight up in Westminster."

Derek Thomas, Conservative.

On housing: "Work to bring back into use empty properties. Work to ensure that new homes are sold to first-time buyers at affordable prices - developers tell me that they can build and supply homes to first-time buyers considerably cheaper than social landlords are selling them for."

On employment: "Continue to work towards improving infrastructure including roads, broadband and mobile capabilities. Ensure college courses reflect the demands of local employers and increase the number of skilled traditional training opportunities such as in the construction and engineering trades. Continue to support Goonhilly Earth Station and the emerging UK space sector.

On post-Brexit funding: "The Conservative manifesto commits a future Conservative government to investing in poorer areas and has committed to improve workers rights and protections. Cornwall and Scilly is already receiving considerable sums of tax-payers money via the UK government."

On mental health: "Conservative Cornish MPs have secured money to build a new mental health residential facility for young people in Cornwall. As part of the recommendations of my recent health inquiry I'm calling for community mental health professionals to be located within GP surgeries to help achieve equality in physical health and mental health care provision. Also government plans include assisting schools to increase the support they offer to pupils with a mental health illness."

On the NHS: "Cornwall Council is receiving an additional £24m from government, from April 2017, to improve social care and reduce the number of people waiting to be discharged from our hospitals. This is part of a plan to bring health and social care services closer together and closer to home which will result in reducing pressure on our hospitals and nurses. Reducing the number of unnecessary admissions to urgent care hospitals will enable Treliske and West Cornwall to treat more patients. Cornwall and Scilly are also receiving approx 6 per cent above national average for our NHS as a result of Cornish MPs making the case to the government. There is the need to increase NHS spending and improve the way we deliver services to ensure the funds available are always put to good use. I've been very active in pursuit of this cause."

On policing: "I've worked closely with the Neighbourhood Policing Team and Police and Crime Commissioner to highlight the need to maintain adequate community policing levels. I'm also supporting efforts to make the police funding formula fairer so that Devon and Cornwall Police receive a fairer funding settlement. This will help to increase police resources."

Asked if Theresa May's U-turn on the dementia tax showed she is not the 'strong and stable' leader she claims, he said: "The PM was clarifying the proposals and simply stated that a cap on the maximum someone would pay for care will be implemented. This is stated in the manifesto so it is not a U-turn. Currently families find themselves selling off their parent's home to pay for care and can be left with just £23,000. This would not be the case under these new proposals. These new proposals also recognise that millions more of us are living much longer with complex care needs and we can not simply deny this fact and do nothing."

 

The general election will take place on Thursday, June 8, and polls will be open from 7am to 10pm.