General Election 2001 - meet your candidates!



Piers Nicholson, Webmaster of Epsom and Ewell on the Internet, interviews the candidates

Liberal Democrats         Conservatives         Labour

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John Vincent, Liberal Democrat       interviewed on 15 May

Q: What would be your aims for what you could do for Epsom if elected?

A: I think I would be at a considerable advantage overthe other candidates because of my experiences as a Borough Councillor and as a Surrey County Councillor from 1993 to 1997. This has given me a real knowledge of how local government works in this area, and I would aim to work closely with councillors of all parties, not just the Liberal Democrats, to deal with local issues and secure the best deals from central government

I am specially interested in environmental problems. Traffic problems need to be addressed in a more determined way. I am delighted that the development of the Hospital Cluster has let to the introduction of new bus services. The services there are need to be run more intelligently, and to have better connections with other services. Epsom station urgnetly needs to be tidied up.

The Tory policy of cutting petrol taxes will only lead to more cars on the road. People need to be encouraged not to use their cars by the provision of better public transport.

Q: Is there any other local issue you would put at the top of your agenda as an MP

A: One of the most important areas where the next MP for Epsom can make a real difference is in the provision of hospital services. The local trust, which runs St. Heliers and Epsom hospitals, have consulted on their Structure Plan, but it is far from clear what they intend to do as a result of the consultation. Our basic approach is that everone in the area has an equal right to accessible local hospital services, and having some services available only in Sutton does not provide accessible service for people lining in Ashtead! As local MP, I would fight this corner as a top priority - and this is an area where a local highly motivated MP can make a real difference.

Q: How do you view the growth of the Internet.

With enthusiasm. It is well on its way to changing politics - I have had a campaign website for the 2001 parliamentary election for some months.

But the great strength of the Internet is also its great weakness. The ease with which people can make information accessible has meant that, if you are looking for a particular piece of information, you can usually find it - and stumble across some other interesting peices of information on the way. It's a bit like going into a huge library in a fog!

But this also means that there are some people propagating information which would lead to their arrest if they did it in print or on the street. This can't be right, but it will take time for the state to organise an appropriate method of policing. I view the idea of "super-regulators" for the Internet with deep suspicion - enforcement would be very difficult, and it would inhibit the sponteneity and innovation which has been at the heart of the development of the Internet

John Vincent has a website at http://www.johnvincent.org and his Email is johnwvincent@hotmail.com

This is the 2nd time John Vincent has stood a Parliamentary Candidate in Epsom & Ewell. When asked: why are you a Liberal Democrat? John answered: "We seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community. I'll battle to build a fair, free and open society. As a parliamentarian, I will work with local people; public, private and voluntary organisations to ensure that policies are enacted for the benefit of the whole constituency. Wherever I find them I will fight poverty, ignorance and blind conformity. I'll be honest about the big issues like; education, health, tax and Europe."


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Chris Grayling, Conservative       interviewed on 18 May

Q: What would you hope to do specifically for the wellbeing of Epsom if you were elected

A: Since we moved to live in the constituency last year, I have already been very active in a number of important local issues, such as Campaign against the propsed downgrading of Epsom Hospital and the Central Railway plan for a new freight railway through Ashtead, and we have won a stay of execution in both areas.

One very important issue in many areas of the constituency is the shortage of secondary school places, and the fact that not much seems to be being done about it. Stoneleigh already has problems, and the area as a whole could be 1,000 places short by 2005. This is my top priority after the election. We have to persuade the Government to reverse its funding cuts at Blenheim High School, which was supposed to have an extra 60 places in each year grou. We also need expansion at other local schools.

A local MP needs to be visible, active, and accessible. None of the MPs for Epsom in the last 50 years have actually lived in the constituency. If elected, I will be at a considerable advantage over my predecessors in being aware of developing local issues, and being able to do something useful about them.

A new back bencher in Parliament obviously does not have much power, but he does have access to almost anyone he wants. For example, if I telephone the chairman of Central Railway, I can get a meeting with him and argue the case for the local residents face-to-face.

Q: What other local issues would be be specially concerned about?

The second important issue locally is anti-social behaviour, which is not just crime but includes a wide raft of other matters including Anti-social behaviour needs to be tackled on a broad front. Schools can be encouraged to do what they can, though they have unfortunately lost some of the sanctions they once had over their pupils. There are too few police on the beat . In the short term, there are a number of things which can be done, particularly installing CCTV coverage in the smaller shopping centres in the constituency.

Q: Do you feel there are any problems with the growth of the Internet, and, if so, how do you think they should be addressed?

A: The Internet is transforming many aspects of all our lives, and is a huge force for positive development. It may be a bit uncomfortable sometimes, but the benefits are of great value, including distance learning, and enhanced opportunities for travel among many others.

There is an issue about broadband access, which is the availability of high-speed data links to give people fast access to the Internet. I am concerned that many people are blaming BT for the delayed rollout of broadband access; these people forget that this country opted for bringing cable to every home in order to provide this broadband access, so there was not the same necessity to provide it through the telephone system. Other countries without the dense cable network we enjoy have seen considerable over-investment in broad band telephonic systems, which has wasted resources.

Dealing with pornography on the Internet is a difficult issue. There is too much of it, and it is too accessible. We have to find some way of curtailing it, but it is far from obvious how that can be done. Probably the best way is for all the industrialised countries to work together to produce some clear guidance for Internet Service Providers about what the policies they should pursue with their subscribers. A high proportion of Internet traffic passes through a handful, probably no more than 20, ISPs, and they should be encouraged to take greater responsibility in this area.

Chris Grayling has a website at www.epsomconservatives.com; his Email address is chris.grayling@btinternet.com

Chris Grayling is a former producer on the BBC Nine O'Clock News and Editor of the Channel Four programme business daily. He has also had extensive experience in running communication and media businesses, ranging from small production, design and multimedia businesses to his most recent job as European Marketing Director of one of the world's biggest communication agencies. Chris has been a local councillor, school governor and is a member of the Governing Council of Merton College. He, his wife Sue and their two children moved into the constituency last summer, after thirteen years living in Wimbledon.


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Charlie Mansell, Labour
Q: What would you hope to do specifically for the wellbeing of Epsom if you were elected

There is quite a long list! But one of the first jobs of a politician is to set priorities, so I will concentrate on the most important issues

The developments at Epsom Hospital need careful watching. I disagree with the proposed transfer of paediatrics and maternity services from Epsom to St Helier. I have been a member of the Merton and Sutton Community Health Council for some years. This covers the area of St. Helier, so I have had a number of meetings with the health trust about various issues. This health authority area has a population of 500,000, and my view is that it needs two acute hospitals - one at either end of the area. There is a proposal in its early stages to replace both Epsom and St. Helier with a larger new hospital in Sutton - this would not be capable of providing a good service to the outlying areas like Ashtead, and the service for Epsom residents would be quite poor because of the sticky transport links between Epsom and Sutton. So my first priority would be to lobby for keeping a full-service general hospital in Epsom.

Epsom needs a much better public transport system. South-West Trains has been awarded a continuation of its franchise, but they need to pay much more attention to such things as cleaner stations, and removal of graffiti.

A major concern for many residents is the fear of crime. We need to distinguish between crime and fear of crime; crime levels in Sutton are the lowest in London, and crime levels in Epsom are even lower. But there is still real fear of crime, which inhibits people from enjoying life as much as they could. This needs to be addressed with a pro-active strategy, such as more widespread CCTV systems, particularly in small shopping centres, and Neighbourhood Wardens, who can provide a visible presence in the way which is no longer possible for the police. Police resources should be concentrated on solving crimes, which is what they are trained to do. It has been shown that neighbourhood wardens can not only reduce crime levels, but also calm down anti-social behaviour, particularly by bored teenagers.

Parents and teachers have a key role in this too. In other areas, teachers have been able to identify the "graffiti artists" from their signatures which always appear somewhere on the graffiti.

The MP has a key role to play in providing a focus for new strategies in this kind of area. As a local councillor for 15 years, I know the importance of building better community links, and how valuable an independent voice can be.

A fourth area I would pay particular attention to is education. Standards in schools are very important. There is a growing problem with a deficiency of school places, and I would put a lot of effort in to improving the provision of school places in the neighbourhood.

Q: Do you have any particular concerns about the growth of the Internet, and, if so, how do you think these concerns should be dealt with?

The Internet is creating some wonderful opportunities, not just for business, but for everyone. The Government wants to boost internet usage, and has already improved the pupil/computer ratio from 17 to 12. Some schools can even give every child internet access.

One major concern is about criminal activity and abuse generally, whether it is from hackers, people spreading viruses, paedophiles, or pornographers. There is no easy answer to this. Governments just have to keep a close watch, and to try to educate parents, schools, and adults generally in ways to avoid problems for themselves and for others, particularly the young, in this area. Chat rooms pose a particular problem - some schools are educating their pupils about the dangers of chat rooms.

No national government can make any headway with these problems on its own, because it is so easy to move internet sites from one country to another.

The "digital divide" is another concern - that there may be some people who are excluded from access to this new technology. Government has a responsibilty to try to minimise this, and many new initiatives, such as Internet access in main public libraries, are a practical demonstration of this.

The promise of the Internet is fantastic. It is beginning to transform politics, and to make politicians more accessible and more accountable. It is a great liberating influence, comparable to the invention of printing, which led to substantial social change through its impact on the Reformation and the Renaissance. . The effect of the Internet is likely to be at least as great, and will make it a very exciting time to the living in.

As the Labour candidate for Epsom and Ewell at the General Election I am seeking to build on the second place to William Hague's Conservative's that Labour secured in this seat in both the last General Election in 1997 and the European Elections in 1999 and become the first Labour MP for Epsom and Ewell. If elected I would be a strong local voice for the residents of Epsom, Ewell, Ashtead and Tattenhams. If you want to contact me ring my campaign office on 020 393 6740 or write to me at 4 Shaw Close, Ewell, KT17 1JP or Email me at EandELabourParty@cs.com. Please visit my website at www.charlie-mansell.supanet.com


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These interviews with candidates in the General Election are carried free of charge as a public service to the voters of Epsom and Ewell. We also offered candidates the opportunity to make a personal statement in their own words - this is shown enclosed in a box



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