Ashfield Neighbour News has put questions to the candidates in the two constituencies that cover the Ashfield district: Sherwood Forest, which includes Hucknall; and Ashfield, which includes the rest of the district and a small part of Mansfield.
These are the responses of Sheila Greatrex-White, the Green Party candidate for Sherwood Forest. Click here to see other responses in Sherwood Forest, or here to see the responses from candidates in Ashfield.
We began by inviting all candidates to set out their pitch:
My father was a miner and I was brought up in a Nottinghamshire town and still live in the Sherwood Forest constituency. I have spent my career working as a nurse in the NHS and more latterly in higher education, teaching healthcare professionals, so I am well aware of the challenges faced in these sectors. I have become so disillusioned with the dishonesty and sleaze from the other main parties that I felt I had to do something; hence I am standing for the Green Party because I believe in their policies and what they are trying to do. I would urge people to check out our Green Party manifesto at https://www.greenparty.org.uk/.
We asked the candidates to list the three main issues they are hearing from local voters, and how they would deal with these
- Healthcare
The Green Party is the only party that has been honest enough to address exactly how it will properly fund the NHS. This involves raising £30 billion by taxing the mega-rich highest earners with assets above £10 million an extra one per cent, and above £1 billion at two per cent. - New Housing Projects and Infrastructure
Green MPs will support local councils to provide good quality, affordable social housing where it is needed, whilst protecting valuable green spaces. Large-scale developments will always be supported by new infrastructure and accompanied by extra investment to enhance local services. - Anti-social behaviour
The Green Party will focus on prevention of crime through restoring the funding withdrawn from youth services since 2010 and through community-based policing. More lighting and CCTV will be introduced to cover blind spots in areas of high crime. Elected Greens will push for a National Commission to agree an evidence-based approach to reform of the UK’s counterproductive drug laws.
One of the roles an MP has is an ambassadorial function for the constituency. We asked the candidates to set out what they thought the biggest selling point for Sherwood Forest constituency is when describing the area to outsiders.
Sherwood Forest is rightly renowned for its abundance of wide open green spaces, woodlands and scenic parks which the Green Party will fight to protect (Robin Hood didn’t live in a city!). The area also has many wonderful hospitality establishments including excellent CAMRA pubs and great restaurants.
We asked the candidates a little cheeky question: to let us know a little-known fact about them that people might find interesting?
On Sunday mornings I ring the bells as part of a team at my local church. They say “practice makes perfect”, but it’s not quite as easy as it sounds! Give it a go.
And we finished with a difficult question: if they and their party weren’t standing in the election, which of the remaining candidates would they vote for?
An impossible question to answer! The only reason I’m standing for election is because I could no longer bring myself to vote for any of the other parties.
