I have lived in Nuneaton for fifteen years with my wife and my two sons who are now young adults.

Full statement

What does the future hold for them? Will they be able to get a decent job? Pay their bills? Buy a house? Afford a pension? Will they be able to thrive happily with their own families before they get dragged into poverty or crime or depression or a war?

These things don't have to happen yet they are becoming more likely.

War in Ukraine could have been avoided. Genocide in Gaza could and still be avoided.

There is a long list of wars that NATO and the US could have avoided. Afghanistan and Iraq, for example were nothing in the end but a smash and grab for resources such as oil . Each time we are lied to about why we need to be involved. The arms industry in this country is booming. We are exporting arms to governments in many countries that then happily use these deadly weapons to cause destruction of infrastructure, death and displacement of civilians. In many cases these same civilians are forced to find a better life in places like Britain.

Why does this matter? Not just because of humanity and international law but because our public money, taxed from our wages pays for this warmongering and suffering. How does this help working people in Britain?

16 years of austerity have resulted in the decay of decent jobs and working conditions and left the NHS incapable of seeing patients soon enough,  in some cases to even save their lives. It has Left the police unable to respond and solve crime. Left the schools and councils underfunded. Left working families, old age pensioners, students, low paid workers and the unemployed unable to afford bills, transport or fill their cuboards without having to go to the food bank.

Meanwhile our corrupt politicians take backhanders from lobbies and contracts that pass under their greedy noses.

While people struggle to pay their fuel bills or go cold,  private energy companies make massive profits with no care for their customers or the environment. Even our rivers and coastlines are polluted because profit comes first.

People are deeply unhappy even  depressed. The gap between rich and poor in post war Britain has never been greater and we are told that the reason is the global economy, immigration, COVID or some other lies or excuses.

The truth is that we have a choice about how our country is run.

I have always been a Socialist and since being able to vote, have voted Labour until recently but the Labour Party to me now is unrecognisable from the Tories.

I worked in the nhs for almost forty years and that is now also unrecognizable.

Nuneaton town centre, littered, vandalised, rundown, occupied by lost, lonely  homeless people and gangs of disillusioned youths is unrecognisable.

People have had enough, they can't make ends meet. Those that are lucky enough to have a job, put up with poor working conditions. Public services such as the NHS, fire service, police service, education, local authorites, transport are all in crisis. Many working people in the private sector have even worse conditions such as those on zero hours contracts.

Many other individuals have no work at all, no home at all, no hospital bed at all, no hope at all.

I represent a party that will fight for justice and fairness for working people. Our policies are bold.

We are serious about levelling up. If given the chance we will lift the tax burden on lower income households and tax those with large estates. Renationalise public services to provide the best healthcare that is free at the point of delivery. Reindustrialise Britain and create better jobs by investing in new technologies. Provide free transport, free  nutritious schoolmeals, free childcare to support women and families. Affordable housing as well as protect our natural environment.

We want to defend this country not support wars in other lands.

We will resist Labour's betrayal of the working class.

When this election is over we will continue to resist until we can help to build a better Britain.

Thank you