2017 General Election - Bradley Stoke Journal

The Parliamentary Constituency of Filton and Bradley Stoke

Filton and Bradley Stoke (FABS) is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.

The seat was first created by the Boundary Commission for the 2010 general election. It was formed by taking parts of the Bristol North West, Kingswood and Northavon constituencies.

The electoral wards used to create the seat in time for the 2010 election were: Almondsbury, Bradley Stoke South, Bradley Stoke Central & Stoke Lodge, Bradley Stoke North, Downend, Filton, Frenchay & Stoke Park, Patchway, Pilning and Severn Beach, Staple Hill, Stoke Gifford and Winterbourne – all in the South Gloucestershire (unitary) district.

The above text is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article “Filton and Bradley Stoke (UK Parliament constituency)“

The election

Election day is Thursday 8th June 2017.

The deadline for voter registration is Monday 22nd May 2017. If you are unsure whether you are registered to vote, please contact the SGC helpline on 01454 863030.

Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm.

More info:

Elections (SGC)
Notice of Election (SGC)
Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll (SGC)

Result

Jack Lopresti (Conservative) 25,331 [+3.3%]
Naomi Rylatt (Labour) 21,149 [+15.1%]
Eva Fielding (Liberal Democrats) 3,052 [-1.3%]
Diana Warner (Green Party) 1,162 [-2.3%]

* Percentages are percentage point changes in vote share compared to 2015

The candidates

The Journal asked each candidate to provide a contribution covering the following points:

Personal profile, covering background, political career and achievements
Issues that people are raising with you on the doorstep in FABS
Choices facing voters at this election (a chance to mention your party’s broader policies)

The responses were published on pages 18 & 19 of our June 2017 magazine and are reproduced below.

Eva Fielding (Liberal Democrat)

I have lived in South Gloucestershire all my life.

I chose to continue my further education through an apprenticeship at Renishaw’s where I won the top apprentice award and worked to encourage women into engineering education.

I am currently a commissioning officer with Gloucestershire County Council working to commission quality services for an all-age all-disability strategy.

I was attracted to standing up for social justice and became campaign co-ordinator for the former chief whip of the Liberal Democrats (Lord Don Foster) for the 2015 general election.

I was a campaign co-ordinator for the South Gloucestershire Remain Campaign for the EU Referendum.

I have been an active campaigner for affordable housing and education opportunities in science and engineering.

I know from talking to people in Bradley Stoke that they are fed up with the never ending roadworks that have plagued the town for over 18 months. With the £200m being spent on this project there are still issues that need better solutions such as the proposed Hatchet Road widening. If elected, although late on in the process, I will be questioning the way the MetroBus infrastructure contracts have been managed, the likelihood of money being recovered from the contract due to the numerous delays and an apology from the council to residents who have put up with long queues and disruption for far too long.

Conservative education cuts (in real terms) and changes in the Fair Funding formula for schools are resulting in unacceptable reductions in the number of teachers employed, in support roles, increasing class size and reducing the curriculum. It is outrageous to ask parents to make “regular financial contributions” to supplement school funding.

High levels of traffic movement around Bradley Stoke mean we desperately need further infrastructure improvements and protection from air pollution, so that in the event of an accident the whole area does not become gridlocked.

House prices continue to climb in the area meaning low to middle wage earners looking to get onto the property ladder will struggle without co-habitation or substantial financial support from parents/guardians. New housing is needed locally to solve the shortage, but we mustn’t lose green spaces or large tracts of green belt to achieve this.
We support strong scrutiny in parliament of any Brexit negotiations (rather than a Tory landslide that means they don’t have to listen to wider views) and a say on the final deal by the British people.

We strongly support more funding for the NHS, raising more than £6bn/year through a 1p rise in income tax.

Our police are vital to maintaining our safety and security and we will invest £300m/year to create more officers and reduce the recent cuts in numbers by the Conservatives.

We will deliver 300,000 new homes a year with public housing to fill any gap the private sector doesn’t deliver.

Website: Eva Fielding
Twitter: @EvaLilyFielding
Facebook: Eva Lily Fielding
Profile (Bristol Post): Eva Fielding
Election leaflets: Eva Fielding #1
Party manifesto: Liberal Democrats

Jack Lopresti (Conservative)

I was born in Southmead Hospital in August 1969.
I have lived and worked in the Bristol and South Gloucestershire area all my life.
On leaving school, I worked in my father’s ice cream and catering business for about ten years. I then worked in the financial services and residential property sectors.
I served with 29 Commando RA as a mobilized reservist for a year and was deployed to Helmand Province in Afghanistan on Operation Herrick 9 in the Autumn/Winter of 2008-9.

The top issues I am hearing on the doorstep are:

National security
A desire for the government to get the best possible deal in our Brexit negotiations
The need for ongoing improvements to transport infrastructure

Defence of the realm is the most important duty of any government and it will remain my highest priority.

As an armed forces veteran, I will continue to represent and work for veteran’s interests.

If fortunate enough to be re-elected I will continue to work to ensure that Filton & Bradley Stoke remains at the heart of Britain’s defence industry and a global hub – delivering investment, manufacturing and high tech jobs.

If a Conservative government is elected, I will fully support Theresa May as prime minister to achieve the best possible deal on Brexit. I believe our great country has a tremendous opportunity as a free and independent nation again to thrive and prosper on the global stage. Economically, we are already one of the world’s biggest economies and by negotiating trade deals with any country on the planet we will build on this success. Politically, we have a unique special relationship with the United States, we are one of the world’s biggest defence spenders and we have historic links with the Commonwealth. Brexit will enhance all of this.

I will strive to secure more new jobs and apprenticeships. We desperately need to build more homes, so that our young people can get onto the housing ladder and we need to continue to improve local infrastructure. I will work with the government and the local council to ensure that the transport infrastructure is robust enough to support the new jobs and new homes coming into our area.

I will passionately support our vital public services such as the NHS and education and will continue to work hard to improve these provisions locally.

Choice facing the electorate

The choice is who is best suited to negotiate the best possible deal in our Brexit negotiations? So that we can thrive and prosper on the world stage both economically and diplomatically as a free and independent nation once again.

Who do you trust more to defend the realm and keep us safe? Theresa May, with a proven track record of strong leadership, or Jeremy Corbyn, who wants to abolish our armed forces and won’t sing the national anthem in public?

Website: Jack Lopresti
Twitter: @JackLopresti
Facebook: Jack Lopresti
Profile (Bristol Post): Jack Lopresti
Election leaflets: Jack Lopresti #1
Party manifesto: The Conservatives

Naomi Rylatt (Labour)

I was a union rep for nine years. I have worked in several different industries and have been employed in real jobs since I was 15.
I was a city councillor for two years on Bristol City Council, representing a ward in Bristol South.
As a city councillor, I sat on the Human Resources Committee and also the Business Change and Resources Committee, as well as the neighbourhood partnership, and took roles in supporting the local charities and groups.
I currently work full time in the insurance industry, (motor claims) and I am a mum to one.

On the doorstep, most people have been most concerned about the level of funding for education, where schools are now making cuts to staffing and raising class sizes in order to make ends meet. The state of the NHS, including increased waiting times for “routine” operations, the standard of non-emergency care and the lack of support for disabilities are also worries. People have been very welcoming, raising their concerns directly with me. I have been able to have many conversations discussing the plans that Labour would put into place if they achieved a majority government. In some areas people have raised concerns around transport, the MetroBus works and the proposals for Hatchet Road as well as the cost and reliability of the trains.

There is a clear choice in this election – our manifesto sets out a plan for Britain that is fully costed and will make a real impact on the lives of the constituents of Filton and Bradley Stoke. We are offering a properly funded education system that includes allowing further education without racking up huge debts, ensuring that no child will go hungry through the day at school, a clampdown on tax avoidance and ensuring the NHS survives. With the plans to renationalise the railway this will mean that the services are not run purely for profit and we take back control of this vital infrastructure.

If elected, I would get involved in local constituency issues and work together with the Metro Mayor and the MPs in the surrounding constituencies to get the best for Filton and Bradley Stoke, no matter how big or small the issue is.

Twitter: @nrylatt4fabs
Facebook: Naomi Rylatt for Filton and Bradley Stoke
Profile (Bristol Post): Naomi Rylatt
Election leaflets: Naomi Rylatt #1; Naomi Rylatt #2
Party manifesto: Labour

Diana Warner (Green)

I was Green Party MP candidate in 2015 and previously a council candidate.
I work as a locum GP and recently worked as GP for fifteen months in Stoke Gifford and Conygre Medical Centre.
I have just completed a paper on health promotion, to be published by The Green Economics Institute.
I am committed to a future in which every person is valued, the environment is protected, our communities thrive, and wealth is shared more equally.

Listening to parents, students, and teachers has put education at the top of my list of local concerns. South Gloucestershire Council has among the lowest funding for schools in the country. Parents and teachers are distraught that schools are facing more cuts. Core staff, including excellent teachers, are having to leave. Despite high levels of mental illness, especially among young men, many local secondary schools can’t afford to keep their counsellors.

Local schools need their funding protected and increased, both to protect the quality of education and to improve the mental health and wellbeing of pupils and teachers.

Health and social care come second. A national shortage of GPs means that there are not enough local GPs. Waiting times are going up, standards of social care declining. Our NHS is a brilliant, world leading institution, now brought to its knees.

Many people are angry at the sense of being left behind. For too long globalisation has been dominated by, and served, the wealthiest in our society. It’s driven a dividing wedge characterised by the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, and that anger has started bubbling to the surface – most noticeably in the recent backlash against the EU.

The Greens truly differ from the establishment parties. We do politics differently, and have a bold vision for a better Britain. For us that’s a Britain that recognises its position as the fifth richest country in the world, meaning we should be investing in our children’s future – investing in free, high quality education and leading other nations in the fight against climate change.

We don’t deal with tinkering around the edges. Tinkering around the edges has led us to this point today. The Childcare Trust estimates that around 15 percent of children in Filton and Bradley Stoke are living in poverty. Global warming is now a reality, and year on year we are experiencing hotter temperatures.

See our Green Guarantee manifesto pledges to find out more about Green priorities and how they will work: www.greenparty.org.uk/green-guarantee

Facebook: Diana Warner – Green Party
Profile (Bristol Post): Diana Warner
Party manifesto: Green Party

[Letter] UKIP’s Ben Walker: Why I am not standing in GE2017 (BSJ)

Bradley Stoke Journal magazine ‘general election special’

PDF extracts from our June 2017 magazine:

Debates, hustings and interviews

Wednesday 31st May 2017, 7pm to 9pm
Event: The Big Election Debate
Venue: Inside the Willow Brook Centre, Bradley Stoke BS32 8BS
Organised by the Willow Brook Centre in association with Bradley Stoke Radio. “Ask your questions on the night directly to the candidates or submit them in advance.”
Everyone welcome.
More info: The Big Election Debate
Video recording (Willow Brook Centre Facebook page)
The debate will be broadcast on Bradley Stoke Radio 103.4FM at the following times:
Wed 6th June, 9pm to 11pm
Thu 7th June, 10am to 12pm
The debate can also be heard online via Mixcloud

Tuesday 30th May 2017, 6.30pm
Event: Filton & Bradley Stoke Hustings
Hosted by The Students’ Union at UWE
Venue: Bristol Business School, UWE
Everyone welcome.
More info: Filton & Bradley Stoke Hustings
Video recording: Part 1; Part 2 (Facebook)

Sunday 28th May 2017, 12noon to 2pm
Meet the Candidates
Venue: Town square at the Willow Brook Centre, Bradley Stoke BS32 8BS
More info: Meet the Candidates

Predictions

Electoral Calculus

See: Electoral Calculus – Filton and Bradley Stoke

7th June 2017 (predicted CON majority of 21.2%)

Betting

Sky Bet

6th June 2017: 1/200 CON, 20/1 LAB, 100/1 LIB, 200/1 GRN

Photos

Above: Education funding debate at Abbeywood Community School on 16th May 2017.

Media links

Filton and Bradley Stoke constituency candidates in the general election 2017, the latest odds and the local issues (Bristol Post)

The Filton & Bradley Stoke parliamentary constituency (BBC)

Tweets by the candidates

Live feed no longer relevant.

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