I am proud to have lived in this beautiful part of the world my whole life.

Full statement

But we have been let down and taken for granted by the Conservatives.

They have broken our NHS, caused a cost-of-living crisis, and let water companies get away with dumping raw sewage in our rivers and sea.

This election is our chance to send a real message – it’s time for change in New Forest West.

I have served as a local councillor here for almost a decade, and I am currently serving as the Mayor of Lymington and Pennington. I have both the leadership and experience needed to hit the ground running and effectively fight for our communities.

Fighting for our NHS is my top priority. Too many people are being left waiting, in pain, for months to get the treatment they need. Everyone should be able to rely on quick access to high-quality local health services when they need them. I will work to make it easier for locals to get a Doctor and Dentist appointment when they need one.

I’m also leading the campaign locally to stop sewage-dumping in the Solent and our local rivers. Whereas the Conservative MP here voted to let water companies continue to dump raw sewage in our local waterways, I want to ban the bonuses of sewage-dumping water bosses and replace Ofwat with a regulator with real teeth.

We also need MPs who will act to cut the cost of living. Whereas the Conservative MP here voted against a windfall tax on oil and gas profits, I want to tax these massive corporations and use the money raised to cut the household bills of local people.

The choice is clear here: continue being let down and taken for granted by the Conservatives or get a fresh start and a hard-working local MP with the Liberal Democrats.