We asked the candidates for Whitehaven & Workington if they were successful in this year’s General Election, what would the constituency look like in five years’ time.
Parliament runs on a fixed term of five years – so unless another General Election is called in the meantime, or other events force a by-election, the person chosen as MP for Whitehaven & Workington has until 2029 to make a difference.
We asked everyone standing for this constituency and here’s what Whitehaven & Workington candidates had to say – in their own words:
Andrew Johnson, of the Conservative Party
I want to see the new mine open and local people benefitting from those well-paid jobs. I also want new nuclear confirmed for Moorside, potentially through the Rolls-Royce SMR programme, which can be used not only for energy generation, but to make West Cumbria a hub for hydrogen and synthetic fuel production.
This will lead to the delivery of the coastal railway upgrade, which as well as adding additional freight capacity, will also improve links for local people to benefit from the new defence jobs in Barrow.
We’ve started on the new community diagnostics centre in Workington and in five years’ time I’d want to see that running at full capacity, in addition to the new facilities at the West Cumberland Hospital. But that can only be achieved by working hard to continue to attract skilled medical professionals to the area, which I’d work with partners to make real progress on.
The additional investment and well-paid jobs brought by the mine and other industries will be major boost to our town centres. But only if the public sector works collaboratively with the private sector to attract and support new business and provide a clear vision for what we want our towns and high streets to look. In addition to industrial growth, West Cumbria needs to continue to capitalise on the global brand that is the Lake District to bring in more visitors and money to the area, though without spoiling all that makes this a fantastic part of Cumbria.
Josh MacAlister, of the Labour Party
Five years from now I’d like to see far fewer local people struggling with their bills, no one waiting more than 18 weeks for NHS treatment, easier access to GP and dentist appointments, proper mental health support in place and safer streets with more police on the beat.
Very specifically, I’d hope to have a major home insulation programme operational to warm local homes and bring down bills, investment in the Port of Workington signed off and development underway and an irreversible decision made for nuclear power to come home to West Cumbria. So not much!
Jill Perry, of the Green Party
Every home will be well insulated and cosy, even private rented ones. We will have started a big programme of retrofitting domestic scale renewable energy so all suitable roofs will have solar panels and all new housing will have such measure fitted from the start.
We will have better, more reliable and more frequent public transport and safer roads for pedestrians and cyclists, and secure parking for bicycles at mall venues. We will have started training more dentists, doctors and nurses so that access to services is not so difficult.
Private renters will have safeguards so they can’t face eviction without due cause, or big rent increases.
We will have invested in cleaning up our rivers, coastline and sea.
We won’t have a coal mine but we will have more good green jobs than a coal mine could ever provide. Our wild flowers will be varied and beautiful and our wild animals will be thriving. So will our people.
Chris Wills, of the Liberal Democrats
The west of Cumbria has been for decades and area of haves and have nots.
The area has been substantially helped by, in particular, the nuclear industry, whether employing directly or indirectly, and its support of local communities.
But there have been generations of low income families who deserve much better opportunities to improve their lives.
There has also been a talent drain of young people out of the area for years, and many of these young people make their lives in other parts of the UK.
We need to change the balance in this new constituency of Whitehaven and Workington.
New investment in green jobs on a major scale. I have a project to buy wool from our local farmers who are currently under economic stress. With new career jobs, locally, wool will be processed into the best home insulation material and low income homes will be retrofitted free, creating new skilled career jobs for this too.
I plan dual-carriageway from Carlisle to the west and then down the west coast to Barrow.
As well as the Lib Dem pledge to build 150,000 social homes in the UK each year, I would make Government give Local Authorities the power and grants to buy old housing stock, retrofit, and make this social housing.
David Surtees, of Reform UK
I see my community in five years’ time as being central in the development of a new Britain.
The Covid pandemic has shown that we need to be self sufficient for everything.
I see us as attracting new industries and finance into the area.
Affordable quality housing and access to medical services and dentistry.
With no children forced into further education and saddled with debt because we have failed to develop real employment for them.
I see a community no longer with declining living standards and opportunities.
