Peterborough by-election: Candidates make their final pitch for your vote

From 7am to 10pm the electorate can have their say on who they want to replace former MP Fiona Onasanya, who was kicked out through a Recall Petition after being jailed for perverting the course of justice.

Ms Onasanya was sentenced to three months in prison for lying about who was driving her car when it was caught speeding in Thorney in July 2017.

After a high-profile campaign which has seen a number of the country’s most recognisable politicians descend on Peterborough, the eyes of the country (and further afield) will be on the city to witness the result of the by-election.

The Peterborough Telegraph invited all 15 candidates to submit a 120 word piece for tomorrow’s paper - their Final Word as to why you should vote for them.

Fourteen of the 15 candidates responded, with Alan “Howling Laud” Hope (Monster Raving Loony Party) not submitting a piece.

The submissions are below.

The result of the by-election, and reaction, will be carried online immediately at www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk and in next week’s PT.

Lisa Forbes - Labour

I’m proud to live, work and raise my children in Peterborough. As a city we face important challenges, but we’re being badly let down.

I’m standing because, just like people here, I’ve had enough of years of education cuts, the city’s litter and fly-tipping epidemic and police officers disappearing from our streets.

People are angry at the state of politics, they want Brexit sorted and so do I. Brexit is really important, but so are better schools, safer communities and cleaner streets. Peterborough deserves an MP who will fight day and night for our city. Someone prepared to tackle head-on all our challenges. That’s why if I’m elected I’ll fight for all of the issues facing us in Peterborough.

Joseph Wells - Green Party

For five years I’ve campaigned cross-party to Remain, I am now arguing for a People’s Vote to break deadlock in Westminster. I’ve travelled within and beyond Europe and I understand how critical it is for the UK to lead the international fight against climate chaos. That is best done inside the world’s most effective trade blocks.

The same applies to tax reform, especially tax havens. As your next MP I will focus on reducing the widening inequalities which fuel so many of our biggest problems: poverty, homelessness, crime, overstretched public services and educational failure. We, the Greens, are tackling abuse of tax havens, setting up citizens’ assemblies working to change our economy, setting up a real Green New Deal.

Stephen Goldspink - English Democrats

The three party system in the UK has delivered complacent politicians who ignore their voters. Manifestos are like coloured lures floating in the water above fish hooks – discarded after the voter has committed to the hook. Brexit is the most blatant example. The English Democrats are investing in getting us out of the EU without a deal – www.defendbrexit.com – in a way that the Brexit Party are not. Not only are we acting on Brexit rather than just talking, we also propose giving England fair funding so we enjoy the same per-capita spending as Scotland and Wales and cutting the grossly excessive foreign aid bill – completely unjustified given the needs at home.

For a better Peterborough, vote English Democrat.

Paul Bristow - Conservative

When people head to the polls I urge them to remember what this by-election is about.

We need to get Brexit done, but this vote is about more than that.

This election is a chance to choose a better MP for Peterborough – one with an action plan for our city.

Choose me and I’ll install average speed cameras to catch people speeding and get dangerous drivers off our roads.

I will turn the A47 into a dual carriageway and end traffic jams.

I will ramp up fines for people who leave piles of disgusting rubbish on our streets.

Our city deserves more, and today is our chance to choose a better MP for Peterborough. We must not waste it.

Mike Greene - Brexit Party

June 6th is Democracy Day for Peterborough and the UK.

75 years ago today, Peterborough provided engines to power the liberation of Europe. Today you can power an earthquake in Westminster.

How?

Despite two recent votes, the job is not done. Elect me as your MP and I will deliver on local needs and the Brexit you and the country demanded

Why?

Five generations of my family call Peterborough home and I want a prosperous future for the next five. I know our city and want it to succeed. Trust me and I will deliver on education, housing and jobs.

Together...

You can make a difference. Together we will make the difference.

Vote Mike Greene, Brexit Party.

Peter Ward - Renew

The two-party system is dying. That is why we need to radically reform politics with new ideas and new leaders. My party, Renew, is a brand new party of people from outside politics, with diverse backgrounds and real life experience.

I am standing to reject the lies, reform politics and reboot Peterborough. I will put economic, environmental and political reform first, while fighting for an open Britain against the Brexit Party’s wall-builders. My priorities for Peterborough are brilliant public services for everyone, affordable housing solutions, and green streets with clean air.

So, for honesty over lies, tolerance over hatred and country over party, vote for Renew and Peter Ward on June 6.

Beki Sellick - Liberal Democrat

Brexit is costing Peterborough businesses and jobs, affecting our NHS and schools. Former Labour and Conservative voters are backing me because only the Lib Dems can stop Farage’s Brexit party in Peterborough.

On May 2, Lib Dems defeated UKIP’s last city councillor and grew by two seats.

On May 23, Lib Dems came second to Brexit in our East of England MEP elections.

Your vote for me will give us a forward-looking MP with a positive plan to build a fair and inclusive Peterborough.

Vote Lib Dem so we can #StopBrexit.

Support me, as a Peterborough business owner, sustainability engineer and parent to improve our city for everyone.

Support the Lib Dems, the strongest Remain party, for a Peoples’ Vote.

Patrick O’Flynn - SDP

I’m the tried and tested Brexit campaigner in this contest. I started a national newspaper campaign to get Britain out of the EU almost 10 years ago. I led for the Leave side in referendum debates across the region.

I am an experienced political operator who can take that message to Westminster and make it stick.

My party, the Social Democrats, also has a wide range of policies to protect and enhance our public services by putting more investment into them – particularly our NHS, schools and the police.

If you want to mix a passion for Brexit with an equal dose of passion to invest in the social fabric after a decade of Tory austerity, then I’m your man.

Tom Rogers - Christian Peoples Alliance

Thank God there’s an alternative! Only Christian Peoples Alliance has the answers for Peterborough and the nation:

On Brexit: Respect democracy. Leave now but allow a referendum five years afterwards so we can fairly judge how it’s worked in reality. Only this policy can reunite the country.

Stop the store closures and save our businesses: make Amazon and big multinationals pay their fair tax share.

Mend our broken society: Only CPA respects life, fully supports marriage and will tackle family breakdown.

Help the poor out of poverty: restore benefit cuts and shelter the homeless.

Protect our children: stop the state takeover of parenting. We’ll restore parents’ rights to withdraw their children from the new relationships and sex education in schools.

John Whitby - UKIP

Make this about more than just Brexit. Yes, vote for a candidate who passionately believes in Brexit, which the majority voted for, upholding the democracy which this country used to be renowned for, but it’s more than that.

Vote for a candidate who’s a local working man, who knows the day to day struggles that people face. From trying to rent a home, getting a mortgage, to finding school places or fighting to keep their area safe and secure.

A candidate who has spent their adult life involved in community service – as a volunteer sports coach and recently as a city councillor too. A candidate from a party with real policies, who can create panic in Westminster.

Vote UKIP.

Dick Rodgers - Common Good

Our country needs a unifying national purpose to bring us together. That purpose should be to make the world a better place and to become a more united, happier, more caring, more equal society within Britain.

Tuesday was the 30th anniversary of China’s repression of democracy in Tiananmen Square. We’re needed on the world scene. Passionately tackling the big problems of the world would challenge us, but it would give us a sense that we are all involved in a calling of great importance as the nation felt during the Second World War. Britain being a team would do us all a power of good. That’s best done with our friends and colleagues in the EU, so stay in it.

Bobby Smith - independent

You should not vote for me unless you believe that:

1. Fathers should have equal rights in court, this continuous persecution of dads destroys wider families, especially grandparents.

2. Male suicide is an epidemic that is largely ignored in this country and deserves a dedicated enquiry and resolution.

3. As a starting point, male victims of domestic abuse are always presumed to be the perpetrators, they get no funding or tailored support which is unacceptable.

These three things are the definition of discrimination and bias based on gender.

If you don’t agree with any of those statements, then you are fortunate to have not been affected and should vote for whoever you usually vote for. Give Me Back Elmo.

Andy Moore - Peterborough People’s Party

Election day is here and so far we’ve seen the major parties doing their best to turn our by-election into a war over Brexit. But what of Peterborough, once we’ve arranged our exit from the EU? The Brexit Party has no manifesto at all, let alone any idea on what it’ll do for Peterborough, the Labour candidate has been forced to apologise ‘wholeheartedly’ amid claims of anti-semitism, the Liberal Democrat barely mentions Peterborough in her latest ‘cancel Brexit’ election campaign leaflet, the Tories are imploding, whilst unwanted travellers are causing mayhem all over the city.

I‘m the only remaining credible candidate to help make Peterborough a city to be proud of. Vote Andrew Moore today and put Peterborough First!

Pierre Kirk - UK EU Party

It’s about money, we all know we need more of it for local funding and promoting local business. Peterborough needs more affordable housing and more jobs and this must be achieved. Social issues can only be properly tackled with security at home and work and this is what we must do. This is also our chance to build with modern green and AI technology. Lack of funds are eroding the functioning of the council services and this must be urgently addressed.

We will focus on the young with practical measures to improve education results and invest in employment futures with apprenticeships and entrepreneurial job creation.