South West Norfolk general election candidates answer questions on environment, NHS and immigration during hustings at Downham Market Methodist Church
The NHS, the environment and immigration were among the topics up for discussion as election candidates faced the voters in Downham last night.
More than 200 people packed into Downham’s Methodist Church for the hustings event, organised by Fenland and West Norfolk Friends of the Earth.
Seven of the nine candidates bidding to take on the role of MP for South West Norfolk appeared on a panel chaired by Revd Paul Critchley - with only Gary Conway (Heritage Party) and incumbent MP and former Prime Minister Liz Truss (Conservative) missing the event.
In an evening full of passion, candidates told the public what they would bring to the table should they be elected after the general election on Thursday, July 4.
Revd Critchley asked the MP-hopefuls to speak for two minutes on a number of different topics, based on questions which had been submitted by voters.
The NHS
In response to the question “what are your policies on funding the NHS, making particular reference to mental health and dentistry?”, Independent James Bagge said: “We do need coherent, cohesive and collaborative arrangement between councils responsible for care and the NHS who run these services, so there’s a lot I think that can be done on the ground in addition to requiring extra funding.”
Labour’s Terry Jermy said: “We are the only region in the UK that doesn’t have a dentistry school, we’ve got to make that a priority”, adding that he would support having a Norfolk-only mental health trust.
Josie Ratcliffe, the Liberal Democrat candidate, said: “We need our workforce back. We have lost some of our skilled workers through Brexit and we need to encourage them to come back.”
She also said that mental health should be treated in the same way as physical health.
Toby McKenzie, of Reform UK, said his party was looking at “smarter ways” of spending NHS cash and wanted it spent on frontline staff instead of “middle management”, while also suggesting a 0% tax rate to draw staff in.
Earl Elvis of East Anglia, representing the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, whose real name is Ashley Inwood, said that the solution to cutting waiting lists was “simple”.
“Put the patients with the same ailments together and meet the doctor en masse,” he suggested.
Lorraine Douglas, of the Communist Party of Britain, said that there was “more than enough money” in the UK but that it was in the “wrong places” such as tax havens - which she suggested be shut down to “recover some of that money to deliver the services we need”.
And Pallavi Devulapalli, of the Green Party, said: “The Green Party is very clear - we need a funded health service that works for everyone.”
She added: “The reason it’s as appalling as it is is after 14 years of underfunding the NHS.”
Defence spending
The seven candidates were also asked for their views on defence spending.
Mr Jermy said he believed the way that the Armed Forces had been treated was “appalling”, adding: “I find it shocking that military personnel have resorted to foodbank and have mouldy accommodation”.
“We want to build back to figures of 100,000 serving personnel,” said Ms Ratcliffe, adding: “We want a fair deal for serving personnel and veterans with access to benefits and healthcare.”
Mr McKenzie said Reform UK wants to increase pay and “make sure that veterans are looked after properly”. “There are too many living on the streets,” he said. “We want a review of defence - we want to spend the money far smarter than we have been.”
Drawing inspiration from the UK’s “finest ever” army Dad’s Army - much of which was filmed in Thetford, in the South West Norfolk constituency - Earl Elvis said: “Forget Conservatives plans for National Service and concentrate recruitment on those over 50 who have in life more intelligence and experience.”
Ms Douglas said: “My party supports the withdrawal of Britain from NATO. We would support an independent foreign policy, one that isn’t based upon squandering billions and billions on weapons of mass destruction which can never be used without the risk of mutually assured destruction.”
“The big problems facing us in terms of security are things like cyber terrorism and terrorism on the streets through fundamentalism and things like that,” said Ms Devulapalli.
“We don’t need Trident because that’s useless in this day and age, what we need is a really sharp focus on the cyber threats - somebody somewhere could pull the plug.”
Meanwhile, Mr Bagge said that it was “wrong” that there had been cuts on those “here to defend us” which had left us “exposed”.
“We need to look after the soldiers themselves and their families. I’m thinking particularly of those soldiers suffering from PTSD and poor mental health,” he added.
Equality and inclusion
Revd Critchley also asked the candidates to share their thoughts on the issues surrounding increased hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community and regarding the rights of women and women-only spaces.
Ms Ratcliffe said that “culture wars” had started, which had seen trans people become the “latest target for othering”.
“The Liberal Democrats believe that everyone has a right to live with safety and dignity,” she added.
Mr McKenzie said: “Nobody should suffer any misjudgement or abuse or hate depending on their sexuality, that’s entirely wrong.”
He added: “What we would like to do is look at hate speech and make sure that is clarified as I think that’s open to a lot of interpretation.”
Earl Elvis said: “I think we should go back to the Swinging 60s where there was peace everywhere and love on Earth. More police on the beat and red tape to be renamed yellow tape for things that you can do.”
“We say that everyone should be able to live the life they choose and have the right to dress as they please,” Ms Douglas said.
She added that she believed women’s rights were threatened as a result of austerity and the policies of the government over the last 14 years thanks to the closure of rape crisis centres and loss of maternity rights, including for those working zero hours contracts.
Ms Devulapalli said she had yet to meet anyone who believed that people should not have the right to be addressed or dress as they choose.
She added that sex-based rights were “important”, the difference between sex and gender should be maintained, and biology was a “real thing”.
Mr Bagge said: “People should be able to live the life they wish to - I do believe in respect to common decency and courtesy.”
He added: “In hospitals, there needs to be clear guidance to help those people who are making those difficult decisions find safe spaces for those people who are feeling uncomfortable.”
“Hate crime legislation is not enforced enough - it is not dealt with as seriously as it should be,” Mr Jermy said.
“There’s a real need to have a debate about gender and sex but we shouldn’t use that as a political football. I have seen the previous MP using these issues as a political football to score points and I think that’s outrageous.”
Immigration
The panel was also asked about how they would stop illegal immigration.
Mr McKenzie said: “We need to stop the boats as they are arriving. We need to pick them up safely and return them from where they came from.”
“Border Force to go to France with 10-mile bungee leads and to attach to the boats. They go halfway across and that’s it,” Earl Elvis said.
Ms Douglas said: “We are talking about human beings here who are desperate and in despair, they are coming from countries that have been destroyed usually with British involvement.”
She said she felt “very strongly” that there are no legal routes to claim asylum despite the right being enshrined in international law.
Ms Devulapalli said that seeking refuge in another county was “nothing new”, adding: “The scale is going to be terrifying as climate change takes hold.”
“Let’s look for a long-term plan,” she said. “We need a much better long-term approach. This shouldn’t be a party political issue.”
Mr Bagge said: “It’s a massive problem that requires an international solution.”
He suggested that the gangs behind the Channel crossings should be a focus, while also negotiating on an international scale so the UK can help those “escaping their homes as a result of wars and famine”.
Meanwhile, Mr Jermy said, if elected, he would take “great delight” in voting down the Rwanda policy.
“We have got to focus on those who exploit the vulnerable fleeing persecution,” he added.
Ms Ratcliffe said: “We need to make sure there are safe and legal routes for people to move to the UK and take the power out of the gangs.
“The Conservatives have made it harder and harder and have escalated the problems.”
Climate change
“Is there a climate emergency and if there is, how do we deal with it?” was the final question posed to the candidates.
Ms Devulapalli said: “Absolutely there is, and it’s all around us. Our weather is more erratic and our food production has gone down.”
The solutions are “all around us”, she added, stating that it was a “win-win” as these could also help with the cost-of-living and unemployment.
Mr Bagge agreed that there was and said the UK needed to react with a “balanced approach” to reduce carbon emissions but at the same time taking steps to defend our own environment from floods and drainage.
He also said he could not understand why solar panels are not a requirement for all new houses.
Mr Jermy said the Labour manifesto included important pledges including no new coal licences and a ban on fracking and bee-killing pesticides.
“Not all of these are complicated but we need the political will,” he said.
Ms Ratcliffe said that if the country did not accept that we are facing a climate emergency then “everything else we have been talking about becomes irrelevant.”.
She also noted that, as a West Norfolk councillor, she was aware that planning officials could not state that new homes needed to include solar panels as they are “restricted by government”.
While Mr McKenzie said that “we have to protect our environment”, he wanted more information before he could say that there was a climate crisis and less money spent on renewables.
Earl Elvis said: “Every garden by law should have its own windmill for renewed energy and the ability to grind your own flour and make your own bread.”
And Ms Douglas said: “You have only got to look at the sate of some of the farmland - they are under water”, adding that she also felt that homes should be built with solar panels.
