Time to put Peterborough first

Whether you’re interested in politics or not, the coming General Election will impact on us all. Its time to elect an MP who will represent you - not one who ignores you, believing they know better.

For decades, EU Membership and Labour/Conservative rule have set a failed framework for our country. The city of Peterborough has suffered through poor financial planning and weak infrastructure – including housing and links to Cambridge and London. Locally, we have an education crisis, a health crisis, a housing crisis and underpaid jobs offering poor working conditions.

Five generations of my family have lived in Peterborough and I want it to be a city where my daughters want to live and have families of their own. Ours is an incredible city. It has played an important part in UK history for over 3000 years. From our oldest Bronze Age settlement to our 900 year old cathedral, we have grown to be one of the fastest growing cities in the UK with its Gigabit fibre loop, an award winning country park and by the end of this year it will be less than 40minutes by train to/from London….

….So why doesn’t our city get the recognition it deserves?

….Why are we treated like a bit part by Parliament?

… And why have our MPs and council/authority allowed us to sink to a place where we are at the bottom of education league tables in the UK?

Our current MP, Lisa Forbes took the seat in irregular circumstances by just 638 votes, replacing convicted Labour MP Fiona Onasanya. She likes photo ops with Jeremy Corbyn but seems remarkably absent from Peterborough. She has voted against the majority Leave view of our constituents.

Peterborough deserves better.

Too many MPs and ‘would be’ MPs seem to see Peterborough as a means to an end, a convenient stepping stone on their political career. Peterborough needs and deserves an MP who really cares about the city, an MP who will put Peterborough first and not be whipped to a party leader’s call at every vote.

Peterborough has been taken for granted and lied-to by both Labour and the Tories.

In the recent by-election the Conservative Party told you a vote for the Brexit party was “a wasted vote because we had no chance of winning” and many of you believed them and lent them your vote. They came a distant 3rd place and got 30% less votes than me.

During the Election, Labour said they would honour the 61% of the Peterborough electorate who voted Leave but Lisa Forbes has voted against every Brexit at every opportunity since being elected.

Enough is enough. Its time to put Peterborough first with a local candidate who cares for this community. Send me to Westminster and I will be the Front-Bench spokesman for our great city.

Let’s give Peterborough the Westminster presence it deserves and requires.