Parliamentary candidates from the local Conservative, Labour, Reform UK and Green parties were invited onto campus to share their vision for government as part of the General Election campaign, in a recent student hustings held at Harlow College.

Chris Vince, Labour, Hannah Ellis, Conservative, Malcolm Featherstone, Reform UK, and Yasmin Gregory, Green Party, faced questions from students before bringing proceedings to a close with their Election policies and pledges.

The candidates spoke in turn about both their local and national political values and policies.

Chris Vince, Labour Party candidate, said: “If I have the honour to represent this town at the next General Election I will ensure young the people of Harlow will have the opportunities they deserve. As a former maths teacher and now a parliamentary candidate I’ve dedicated my working career to a life of service to the local community.”

Hannah Ellis, Conservative Party candidate, said: “Growing up in Harlow I know the importance of community, personal responsibility and hard work. I pledge to cut taxes, fight for our new local hospital and focus on cutting crime and anti-social behaviour. I love Harlow, it’s my home and I will fight to make your voices heard.”

Malcolm Featherstone, Reform UK Party candidate, said: “The reality of party politics means none of us here are going to be Prime Minister. At best we’ll be back benchers and back benchers get whipped, so you need to know which one of us will stand up the strongest for you. My advice is, pick your party and stick with your party.”

Yasmin Gregory, Green Party candidate, said: “I despair that there’s been no real infrastructure in Harlow for many years. It’s totally unacceptable that people have to live in ex office blocks. I would introduce a grant to help post 16 year olds to continue their education as I recognise how important this is.”

Questions from the student audience included topical subjects such as knife crime, Brexit and the European Union, the NHS and local healthcare provision, climate change and public transport.

The full list of local Parliamentary Election candidates can be found here. https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/parl.harlow.2024-07-04/harlow/

The General Election takes place on Thursday 4th July. Voters must bring a recognised form of photo ID with them in order to be able to vote. A full list of acceptable photo ID can be found here.

https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/voter-id/accepted-forms-photo-id