We asked you to submit your questions to candidates standing in the 2024 General Election.
From all your submissions, we chose 10 that represented the broad issues you wanted answers to.
We asked every candidate we had contact details for to respond.
We’ll be publishing them in the run-up to the General Election with the responses from the candidates who replied from each constituency.
These are the answers are from candidates standing in the Carlisle constituency.
What will you do to address the damage caused by Brexit, and what will you do to improve trade with the EU?
Julie Minns, Labour
The Tory Government made a complete hash of Brexit. We have repeatedly said that there’s no case for going back into the EU and that includes the single market and the customs union.
But there is work to be done to ensure we can work closely with our European neighbours on a range of issues from immigration to trade. We can reset that relationship in our national interest.
Gavin Hawkton, Green Party
Brexit has not worked, leaving us poorer as a nation.
Green Party position is clear that we should join the Customs Union as a first step towards rejoining the EU when the time is right. We would also welcome a speedy return to the free movement of people between the UK and the EU, facilitating reciprocal work rights.
Brian Wernham, Liberal Democrats
Carlisle needs access to what used to be called the ‘Common Market’.
UK goods exports to EU countries are down 18% on pre-pandemic levels. Meat exports are down 17%. Costs of building materials and feed for livestock are rocketing up. Ask any builder.
The Liberal Democrats will work to repair the UK’s relationship with the EU. We will seek to negotiate closer trade ties and cooperation with the EU, including access to the ‘common market’ and customs union.
Our goal is to minimise the economic damage caused by Brexit and ensure that UK businesses can trade freely with our closest neighbours.
Cumbria voted 66% in favour of being in the European Common Market in the original 1975 referendum that Prime Minister Edward Heath called.
He was a Conservative Prime Minister in favour of the Common Market. Margaret Thatcher, another Conservative Prime Minister, championed the Single Market for goods and services and signed the Maastricht Treaty to create it. Ironic how Boris Johnson destroyed all those benefits by forcing a ‘hard Brexit on the UK.
