General Election 2019: Meet the candidates for Salisbury

John Glen – Conservative

“I am immensely proud of all the positive things that are happening in Salisbury."

FORMER Salisbury MP John Glen has been selected to re-stand for the seat he has held since 2010.

He said: “It has been an honour to be Salisbury and south Wiltshire’s MP for nearly a decade.

“I am immensely proud of all the positive things that are happening in Salisbury.

“We are on the brink of becoming the first full fibre city in the UK, with the fastest broadband speeds in the country – with all the value that brings to businesses and homeowners.

“We have also seen massive investment in the College and in the ground-breaking veterans centre at Wilton Hill.

“But there is so much more to do – we need to sort out our traffic woes and fix the A36 once and for all.

“I also look forward to securing major investment in our hospital.

“If re-elected, I will continue to focus on revitalising The Maltings, creating a green riverside park and building a new nationally-significant arts and cultural venue, including an improved library and gallery.”

Tom Corbin – Labour

I will give my full support for Labour’s green new deal to tackle the climate emergency.”

LABOUR candidate Tom Corbin was the party’s candidate for Salisbury in both the 2015 and 2017 general elections, and will be standing again on December 12.

Tom has served as a Salisbury City Councillor for the Bemerton ward since 2013.

He has also lived in Salisbury for 40 years and works as a train driver.

The party says Tom has been active within the trade union and Labour movement for most of his working life, and is greatly concerned by Boris Johnson’s proposals on workers rights that could lead to a “race to the bottom”.

Speaking after being selected, Tom said: “Only a Labour government can deliver for Salisbury and south Wiltshire by stopping the terrible Tory NHS sell off, investing in social care and giving mental health the priority it needs. I will campaign for publicly owned energy, water and rail run for people not profit. I will give my full support for Labour’s green new deal to tackle the climate emergency.”

Victoria Charleston – Liberal Democrats

"I cannot stand by whilst Boris Johnson’s Conservative Government destroys our country."

THE Liberal Democrats have selected Victoria Charleston as their candidate for next month’s election.

A policy and development manager for a personal safety charity, Victoria says she “cannot stand by” whilst Boris Johnson’s Conservative government “destroys our country with a damaging Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party does nothing to fight him.”

She added: “For me, the role of the MP is to stand up for those who struggle to be heard. I intend to do this as the Lib Dem candidate for Salisbury constituency and as the MP if people choose to elect me.

“We live in the most unsettled and divided of times. I have chosen to stand as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Salisbury constituency as I cannot watch our communities suffer through this chaotic parliament. I cannot stand by whilst Boris Johnson’s Conservative government destroys our country with a damaging Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party does nothing to fight him.”

Rick Page – Green Party

"As a society we need to develop a system based on cooperation, democracy and social justice."

RICK Page is the newly selected parliamentary candidate to stand for the Green Party in Salisbury.

Rick lives in central Salisbury and is a long serving headteacher of Wordsworth Primary School in Southampton.

Previously he lived in Winterslow where he was chair of governors at the local school for years.

Rick has also served on the elected council of Liberty, an NGO that works to protect civil liberties and promote human rights and as a board member of the Society of St James, the homeless charity based in Southampton and Hampshire.

Prior to retraining and a career in education he was a partner in a Salisbury based business.

Rick says he is not a career politician, but from his experiences of working both in business and education, feels strongly that as a society we need to develop a system based on cooperation, democracy and social justice and to not risk the planet’s future with environmental destruction and unsustainable consumption.

King Arthur Pendragon - Independent

“I voted remain, but like most people who accept the will of the people, I just want to get it over with."

INDEPENDENT candidate King Arthur Pendragon will stand in the election for the Salisbury seat.

He wants to get the right Brexit deal done, despite originally voting to Remain in the 2016 referendum, as he “accepts the will of the people”.

He added: “Brexit – it’s all we’ve heard for the past three and a half years. Our political classes have been paralysed, whilst the rest of the world has passed by us. I might not know what works, but I know what does not.

“Don’t ram Boris’ deal through with little or no scrutiny just to get it over the line as the Tories would. Don’t pretend the referendum didn’t happen as the Lib Dems would. Don’t subject us to Groundhog Day and start all over again as Labour would.

“And don’t leave without a deal as the Brexit Party would!

“I voted remain, but like most people who accept the will of the people, I just want to get it over with,and would back any deal that works for us and our European neighbours.”