The Herne Bay and Sandwich seat (including parts of Thanet) has five hopefuls vying for votes when the country goes to the polls for the General Election on July 4.
In the 2019 General Election, before the boundary changes that have come into force this year, veteran Conservative Sir Roger Gale, who held the North Thanet seat since 1983, was elected with 30,066 votes – equalling 62% of the poll. Labour’s Dr Coral Jones took 12,877 – 27%.
However, for this election there is a new constituency of Herne Bay and Sandwich – which includes Westbrook, Birchington, Garlinge, Thanet villages wards and Westgate.
We have asked the candidates to answer some questions on issues that matter to Thanet.
Here Sir Roger Gale, standing for Conservatives in Herne Bay/Sandwich, tells us his views on subjects ranging from housing development to the NHS:
Housing development- particularly on farmland – and the housing numbers dictated for the Local Plan are a concern for many residents. What is your view on this, can government reduce housing need figures due to them being based on 2014 ONS stats which do not seem to reflect the 2024 situation and need? Alongside this Thanet needs more social housing, how would you tackle this?
I have consistently opposed the use of farmland for housing. Thanet`s Council has the power, under the revised NPPF, to review the local plan and has chosen to date not to do so. We should be using all available brownfield sites before even considering building on what little remains of our agricultural land. Of course we need homes for local people but that is not what is being built.
Minster Marshes – There is a campaign against the National Grid plans for a converter station as part of the Sea Link project. What are your views on this?
I have consistently opposed the building of the proposed National Grid 90` nigh Converter station on the marshes adjacent to an SSSI. There are alternatives available and this is a proposed act of environmental vandalism.
Southern Water sewage releases in our sea – how would you tackle this?
I have been meeting with Southern Water about the release of screened but untreated sewage into the sea for months: There is no quick fix to the reality that we have combined sewage and rainwater systems that were designed for small Victorian Towns and are no longer remotely fit for purpose. We have also permitted development with little thought to supporting infrastructure.
The solution will involve a major programme of engineering works and highly disruptive excavation of roads to separate the systems. It will be hugely expensive, and it will cause considerable inconvenience, but it must be done.
Cost of living – Thanet families are struggling to make ends meet, businesses also struggle as a result and there are a large number of empty shops in our towns. How will you help the economy to recover and how will you help our families and businesses?
The single biggest contributor to increases in the cost of living is inflation and as a result of Government action that is now at a more acceptable level. As a result, interest rates should fall (probably in August) and that will benefit both households and businesses. There is no denying the cost-of-living rise which has been due in large part to the costs of maintaining people and businesses during the pandemic and to fuel costs arising from the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East but it is generally accepted that the economy has turned a corner.
Out of Town shopping and the rapid growth of mail-order have inevitably has a deleterious effect upon some traditional High Street businesses and we need to look more constructively still at the way in which High Streets can reinvent themselves and how empty properties can be re-purposed for domestic use.
NHS – Thanet has a severe shortage of dentists and there are not enough GPs, getting an appointment is problematic.
It is not possible to create new dental practices – which like GP surgeries are private businesses – overnight but the Health Departments `dental recovery programme’ is already having an impact. That programme must be seen through. It is also a nonsense that as a result of the restrictions imposed by, the General Dental Council there are believed to be some 200 Ukrainian dentists in the UK who are not permitted to practice as dental surgeons.
There is also desperate need for improved mental health services, both adult and child. What are your views on this?
The present Government is spending very considerable sums on mental health services for both adults and young people but is an absolute fact that since the pandemic and the resulting isolation the mental health situation, particularly amongst the young, has deteriorated significantly.
I am not satisfied that all of the services that are being provided are offering good value and results for the money that is being spent. Young people are waiting far to long for assessment and diagnosis before receiving appropriate treatment and that has to change. I know of no Opposition proposals designed to achieve this.
Youth services: There has been a loss of funding for some youth services (such as Pie Factory and The Pavilion in Thanet). What are your views on provision of youth services and how this should be done?
Throughout my work before and whilst being a Member of Parliament I have actively supported youth services and have engaged directly with many of the youth organisations in my constituency. It is important that our children and grandchildren have safe places they can go to where they can be with their friends and learn essential skills that will help them in later life.
One of the best ways that we can ensure younger people have a voice is to allow them to become involved with local decision making which is why I gave my backing to my Conservative colleague, Cllr George Kup, when he, as Cabinet Member for Youth Engagement, instigated Thanet Council’s first Youth Council which empowers young people from across Thanet District to examine Council policy and contribute their views. For the same reason I have been involved in the work of the Kent Youth County Council and the National Youth Parliament.
Manston airport – the DCO is now confirmed and it appears there will be no further legal appeals. What is your view of the airport/cargo hub scheme and what involvement, if any, will you have with the scheme going forward?
Having championed the cause of Manston as an airport since before the closure I am naturally pleased that the legal processes are behind us. I intend to see the project through to, first, the opening of the freight facility and subsequently the reinstatement of passenger services from a new passenger terminal.
Asylum – what are your policies on asylum and small boat crossings?
Ultimately this is a geo-political problem that requires a pan-European and global solution and to pretend otherwise is baying at the moon. In the short term the international community has to make a concerted effort to disrupt the business model that allows evil people to exploit the desperate and engage in the trafficking, often leading to death, of human beings.
I regard with disdain the dog-whistle populism of the far right who seek to exploit the issue for political gain while offering no solutions whatsoever. The Labour Party, also offers no solutions while voting against those measures designed to exercise at least some control over illegal immigration.
