POLLING stations will open for residents to vote in the general election in less than a week.
With candidates from across the political spectrum standing in Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and the surrounding areas, the Daily Echo posed the same six questions to each, to see what they would say.
Each was given the opportunity to respond, with word limits for each answer to keep answers to the point.
We will be publishing the answers of every candidate, with candidates for each constituency grouped together.
We have published the answers of candidates standing in four constituencies in our area.
Next, it is the turn of candidates in Poole to have their answers published in full.
Read more from our ask the candidates series:
- Six questions for Bournemouth West candidates
- Six questions for Bournemouth East candidates
- Six questions for Christchurch candidates
CONSERVATIVE: Sir Robert Syms
What is your policy on housing?
We need to build more not only to buy but for rent to get families out of bed and breakfast. Locally we must get the Lower Hamworthy site developed it will mean thousands more homes and bring more people into town centre.
What is your policy on the NHS?
We have had more than £570 million invested in Dorset Hospitals by the Government this will improve local services. We can build on this.
What are your top three priorities for the area and why?
Campaign for Poole to get free port status to help investment and jobs , working with the Police and Crime commissioner Dave Sidwick to combat anti social behaviour which blights lives and work with Government to increase investment in area.
What is the biggest change you want to bring to your constituency?
I would not like to change constituency much but we need to find a way to help young people buy homes in Poole.
What is the biggest issue that residents have raised on the campaign trail?
Nationally it's immigration and local concern about BCP bringing in 20mph speed limit.
How will you split your time between Westminster and your constituency?
Local MP is expected to work in two locations that tends to mean Monday to Thursday in Westminster and rest of time in Poole key thing always be available to see people with problems.
LABOUR: Neil Duncan-Jordan
What is your policy on housing?
My eldest son couldn't afford to buy a house where he was born. That's not right. We need to ensure developers are not evading their obligations, we need more truly affordable homes to rent, more rights for tenants and greater support for first time buyers.
What is your policy on the NHS?
I represent workers in the NHS and know that it urgently needs investment as well as reform. We need to ensure we don't have nurses using foodbanks and reduce the involvement of the private sector. Moving A&E, maternity and children's services to Bournemouth won't make things better.
What are your top three priorities for the area and why?
Tackling the crime and drug dealing around Poole Bus Station and stopping the exploitation of young people.
Working with businesses, landlords and the community to regenerate Poole High Street to encourage visitors and boost the local economy.
Supporting local initiatives that help young families get the best start in life and to tackle social inequalities
What is the biggest change you want to bring to your constituency?
Providing Poole with an MP who will be independently minded and speak up for working people. Having someone on your side, who is working hard to make Poole a better place to live, work and raise a family.
What is the biggest issue that residents have raised on the campaign trail?
Residents want to see a local MP who speaks up for Poole and is active, rather than absent. The NHS, housing, sewage, crime around Poole bus station and the cost of living crisis all come up regularly on the doorstep.
How will you split your time between Westminster and your constituency?
Being an MP should be a full-time job. I will work in Westminster when Parliament is sitting and be visible in the constituency when it's not. I want an open-door policy which allows residents to contact me and discuss their concerns when they need to.
LIBERAL DEMOCRAT: Oliver Walters
What is your policy on housing?
Abolish residential leaseholds and cap ground rents to a nominal fee.
A zero-carbon standard for all new homes.
Ensure that all development is built with appropriate infrastructure and amenities.
Immediately ban no-fault evictions.
Proactively enforcing clear standards for homes that are socially rented, including strict time limits for repairs.
What is your policy on the NHS?
Increasing the number of GPs by 8,000.
Bringing dentists back to the NHS from the private sector by reforming the NHS dental services contract.
Creating an emergency fund to reverse closures of community ambulance stations and cancel planned closures where needed.
Putting a qualified mental health professional in every school.
What are your top three priorities for the area and why?
Building enough housing and social housing to ensure that our residents can continue living in Poole and afford to buy.
Ensuring that our council has the relevant funds to get the basics right such as road maintenance, keeping Poole clean and meeting social care obligations.
Improve access to NHS services.
What is the biggest change you want to bring to your constituency?
The largest change I can bring to the constituency is by being an MP that is easily accessible, open about my priorities and willing to devote all my time to being Poole's representative. Poole has declined in recent years and we need an MP who will fight for it.
What is the biggest issue that residents have raised on the campaign trail?
The social contract is broken - our public services are no longer fit for purpose.
The cost of living crisis.
Infrastructure is being left to fall apart.
Our younger generations cannot afford to rent or purchase properties in our area.
The accessibility of NHS care
How will you split your time between Westminster and your constituency?
I will spend as much time in Poole as possible. My aim is to be proactive in reaching out to residents to understand their views and challenges.
Parliament is in recess for much of the year. I will spend that time personally meeting and helping residents.
GREEN PARTY: Sarah Catherine Ward
What is your policy on housing?
Having worked in housing for nearly 30 years I am clear that the issue is that housing is now a commodity rather than a human right, I would push for:
Build 150,000 new council houses a year.
End ‘right to buy’.
Introduce rent controls.
End all no-fault evictions.
What is your policy on the NHS?
Pass the NHS Reinstatement Bill to abolish wasteful competition within the NHS.
Immediate one off budget increase to cover fair wage settlements
Renegotiate the NHS dental contract so everyone can have an NHS dentist.
What are your top three priorities for the area and why?
Housing. Too many are without homes or waiting for housing. Private rents are too high, there is insufficient social housing.
Children’s wellbeing. Children’s lives need improvement, whether in family homes or the care system. Our schools, and mental health provision are broken.
The environment. We must protect our natural spaces.
What is the biggest change you want to bring to your constituency?
Economic and social equality. Poole is a town of extremes, some wards being the most affluent of any in the country, many more being some of the most deprived. This affects the life outcomes of the majority. We must end poverty, create decent homes and pay a decent living wage.
What is the biggest issue that residents have raised on the campaign trail?
Housing. The housing crisis is particularly stark in Poole, with virtually no social housing for families and a shortage of any affordable private rented housing. The local housing allowance cap means anyone on benefits has to top up a large amount which is often impossible even for those working.
How will you split your time between Westminster and your constituency?
Poole is my home, where I live with two of my daughters. I am also a carer. I would have cover for those days when I have to be in Parliament but would spend the remainder of my time in Poole ensuring I am available for constituents.
REFORM UK: Andrei Silviu Dragotoniu
What is your policy on housing?
We will make full use of brownfield sites with tax incentives and planning policies for large residential developments. Incentives and innovation to speed up building. Modular construction and building sites that are efficient and cut waste.
Prioritise housing for local people and those who have paid back into the system.
What is your policy on the NHS?
We will cut waste and unnecessary managers. Train more front line staff by abolishing the training caps for UK medical students. Harness independent and not-for-profit health provisions. All frontline NHS and social care staff to pay zero basic rate tax for three years.
What are your top three priorities for the area and why?
Reduce crime and antisocial behaviour with zero tolerance policies. Crime is out of control and blights the lives of residents.
Youth centres to help and mentor the young people of Poole.
Holding a referendum for Poole residents to reverse the BCP unitary council and bring us back to a single council.
What is the biggest change you want to bring to your constituency?
Democracy at its best where all residents' concerns are a priority. Poole people need to have their voices heard, they will be represented in Parliament and they will have my support locally as well.
What is the biggest issue that residents have raised on the campaign trail?
BCP Council decisions that ignore the basic needs and wishes of our town. Reporting of crime and antisocial behaviour no longer being dealt with. People can see it’s getting worse but the lack of reporting due to the lack of action being taken by the police is escalating the problem.
How will you split your time between Westminster and your constituency?
I will split my time equally between Westminster and Poole. While in Poole, I will be available for residents and I will be working on local issues that I can then take back to Westminster and give my all to help our residents.
UKIP: Leanne Barnes
What is your policy on housing?
The UK does not have a housing problem so much as a demand problem, with demand largely being fuelled by uncontrolled mass immigration. Immigration must be rigorously controlled to stabilise housing demand. UKIP will end large scale uncontrolled mass immigration for whatever reason without which housing problems cannot be solved. UKIP will also mandate that urban green spaces are protected from development.
What is your policy on the NHS?
Instead of ploughing more money into the NHS, we should scrap/sack all diversity managers and non-clinical admins and give more cash to front line doctors and nurses. The NHS is riddled with non-jobs. Only UKIP has the right answers to cull the "sacred cow".
What are your top three priorities for the area and why?
Law and order, reducing knife crime.
Education.
Tourism and economy.
What is the biggest change you want to bring to your constituency?
To drastically reduce crime levels.
What is the biggest issue that residents have raised on the campaign trail?
Crime in Bournemouth and Poole, mainly the massive increase in knife crime. And immigration.
How will you split your time between Westminster and your constituency?
I would be in Westminster Monday to Thursday, and in the constituency holding a surgery seeing constituents every Friday and on the weekends.
INDEPENDENT: Joe Cronin
What is your policy on housing?
We have to start building up not out. Protect people in rental accommodation from unscrupulous landlords, help young people to afford a deposit. At least carbon neutral new builds proper insulation for all homes. Use of photovoltaic tiles and cladding I have plans for all of the above.
What is your policy on the NHS?
The NHS is in very deep trouble we need cross party cooperation to take politicking out of equation, pragmatism with research based solutions. We need to study other functional systems from around the world and learn from them. We need to look into healthcare insurance for all.
What are your top three priorities for the area and why?
Improve the health and wellbeing of all children, mental health particularly.
Clean up the harbour and environment.
Get Poole residents reengaged with politics and involved in local decisions.
I would like to see Peoples Forums set up (with individuals chosen randomly from electoral list) to guide local politicians. All for obvious reasons
What is the biggest change you want to bring to your constituency?
Hope by modernising our democracy. Getting people reengaged by introducing proportional representation preferably the single transferable vote model. So that every vote matters and parties are represented in parliament based on the percentage of votes cast for them. Change starts at the beginning, without change, nothing changes.
What is the biggest issue that residents have raised on the campaign trail?
Biggest issue residents raised was definitely the environment, sewage in the harbour (crapachino), substandard accommodation and the problem of mould. The biggest issue I detected was anger at all politicians, I was expecting apathy but not this degree of anger. We need to diffuse the situation.
How will you split your time between Westminster and your constituency?
To achieve my aims and pledges I will need to spend time listening and talking to others while arguing my case. I will need to work approximately three days/month to keep up my GP registration. I would say two and five day split but always available on line to constituents.
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