1.Tell us about yourself and why you are standing

I love living in Chester. My daughters were born at the Countess and my husband and I brought them up here, sending them to good local schools in Upton.

Growing up, I attended Christleton High School and my first job at the age of 16 was in Browns of Chester café.

For 12 years, I served as a local councillor representing residents in Chester city centre. I was the first woman leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, holding the post from 2015 to 2019.

During this time, I was proud to be at the heart of delivering Storyhouse, establishing the first council-led Poverty Truth Commission in the country, and help to bring forward the first phase of the Northgate Development which includes Chester’s new market as well as building the first Council houses in the borough for 40 years.

In 2022, I was honoured to be elected as the member of Parliament for the City of Chester and represent and champion our beautiful city. In this time, I have been contacted by thousands of residents asking for help. Since the by-election, I have dealt with more than 9,000 cases and thanks to my hardworking team and I, we have put at least £430,000 back into local peoples’ pockets – money they were intitled to.

Now, I am standing as the candidate for the new constituency of Chester North and Neston. I am proud of my record as Chester’s MP and it would be an honour to continue this hard work across the new constituency.

I love the passion the people of our city have. Not just for the place itself and all the city has to offer, but also their passion to help other people. But people across the country have been let down by 14 years of Conservative Government. They’re worse off and struggling to make ends meet. Our health service is broken and on its knees. We are facing a housing crisis, and a climate and nature crisis. Wherever you look, things have become harder.

We desperately need change that only a Labour Government can deliver, and I would be honoured to be the local voice to continue championing our local area, standing up for the needs of local people.

2.What personal attributes can you bring to the role?

I care deeply for our local area, know the issues here and want people to thrive. I have dedicated decades of service to our local area and am committed to bringing out the best it has to offer.

I have an honest, no fuss approach to help people and resolve issues quickly and effectively.

I am also, the only woman on the ballot paper in Chester North and Neston. I am proud, but at the same time, disappointed about this. We need more strong women in public life to stand up for issues that are so often overlooked.

At a time when politics has divided our country and people have lost trust in politicians, it is more important than ever to commit to honesty and integrity. These qualities are very important to me.

3.What are your 3 main priorities for Chester if elected?

At a time when so much seems broken, it is hard to pick just three issues to prioritise. However, based on the conversations I have had with residents on the doorstep during the campaign but also throughout the last 18 months as the MP for the City of Chester, these three stand out.

Economic Growth and helping people through the cost-of-living crisis. The current state of the NHS and the ability to access services when you need them. And the importance of protecting our environment locally and nationally to make sure future generations can enjoy its beauty and benefits.

1. Despite the challenges, Chester’s local businesses and the high street have held their own through their innovation and resilience. It brings me great joy to see the city and our local area packed with visitors and locals, especially on these warm summer days.

Families and businesses need stability and an end to the Tory chaos, allowing them to plan for their future.

I’ve always wanted to see our local economy flourishing and drive investment into our local area. Whether it’s big companies such as Urenco or our local favourite independents, I would continue to work with them to help them thrive.

The British economy has been growing at the slowest rate for two centuries under the Tories. And the small amounts of growth it has seen, have not benefited the whole country. The result is the biggest fall in living standards in a generation.

Growing the economy on secure foundations will be the number one mission of the next Labour government, you can read more about here: https://labour.org.uk/change/kickstart-economic-growth/

2. I use NHS services in Chester and I know how important they are to everyone who lives here. During the last Labour Government, we saved the NHS. We need to do it again.

Everyone knows the NHS is on its knees. Hundreds or residents have told me first-hand about their struggles to secure a GP appointment or find an NHS dentist to take

them on. Nationally the waiting list is at almost 8 million, forcing many to go private. Not everyone can afford this.

In the long-run, we want to make the NHS so good, that no one ever needs to go private. That’s what the last Labour government did.

Labour is committed to getting the NHS back on its feet. By cutting NHS waiting times with 40,000 more evening and weekend appointments each week, paid for by cracking down on tax avoidance and non-doms. Introducing 700,000 more urgent dentist appointments and creating fast access to mental health services by recruiting 8,500 new NHS mental health staff.

I will work hard to ensure local people can rely on NHS services when they need them and focus on the root causes and preventative measures to relieve pressure off the NHS and staff.

You can read Labour’s plan to get the NHS back on its feet here: https://labour.org.uk/change/build-an-nhs-fit-for-the-future/

3. We live in a beautiful, natural and historic part of the country. This is something I work hard to celebrate and protect.

The Conservative Government have left the UK as one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, with record levels of toxic sewage swilling through our rivers, lakes and seas.

Locally I have been pleased to work alongside many organisations and groups who are leading the way in nature and biodiversity conservation. From the world leading work of Chester Zoo and The Cheshire Wildlife Trust to the Chester Sustainability Forum and the local RSPB to name just a few.

If re-elected, I would continue to build on my work to stop sewage dumping in the River Dee and Dee Estuary and work with Labour colleagues to expand nature-rich habitats (such as wetlands, peat bogs and forests) as part of moving to a circular economy – planting millions of trees and creating new woodlands along the way.

4.How would you assess the performance of the Government?

Appalling.

Chaos and mismanagement that has left the country worse off than when the Government took office. This is not what Conservative voters voted for in 2019.

Breaking the promise that every next generation is better off than the last.

It’s everywhere you look. Our council, our schools, our hospital, our police, our fire service. All starved of resources.

Living standards are down. Crime goes unpunished. Ambulances delayed. Schools crumble over our children’s heads. Sewage floods our waters. Mortgages and food prices are through the roof.

The Government have no plans to fix their own mess. Their sticking plaster approach has failed. They are too busy in-fighting and want voters to forget who has been in charge for the past 14 years. They have lost sight of what local people need and appear to have no awareness or understanding of the chaos their Party has created across the country. They have no record to stand on and another five years of Conservative Government will mean another five years of chaos and decay.

5.How would they like to see the NHS run and funded going forward?

It is clear the NHS is struggling and we have to get it back on its feet. We all know and have experienced the problems facing the NHS. We simply cannot go on like this.

The NHS and the amazing staff have been there for us for decades and more so than ever throughout Covid-19.

We need to cut NHS waiting times with 40,000 more evening and weekend appointments each week, paid for by cracking down on tax avoidance and non-doms.

Chester and Neston and many other places across the country have become dental deserts. We need to introduce 700,000 urgent dentist appointments and reform the broken NHS dental contracts to make sure people can access the dental care they desperately need.

I will work with Labour colleagues to bring back family doctors, tackle the unworkable 8am GP appointment system and harness the power of the NHS App to make it easier to get an appointment and reduce the workload on GPs by cutting red tape.

Nobody should lose hope just because they are waiting for cancer treatment or pull out their own teeth because they can’t find an NHS dentist to take them on. Sadly, this is the reality in our own country.

We need to support the NHS so that it is there to support us when we need it. The Labour Party created the NHS and we will save it again.

6.What do you intend to do about sewage dumping into the Dee river? What will you do to help get bathing water status?

The River Dee is one of Chester’s greatest assets and the reason the City is here.

I set up the ‘River Dee Summits’, bringing together local environmentalists, key stakeholders including water companies, residents, and local groups to discuss the action needed to stop sewage dumping in the river which has resulted in Chester being included in Welsh Water’s first phase of real time sewage monitoring.

I have also directly raised this issue with the Prime Minister during Prime Minster’s Questions, (you can view this here; https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/161c58c2-ba2e-4e00-aa48-635b3e11d6d1?in=12:25:29 )

I hope to continue championing this issue locally as well as work with a Labour Government to stop the bonuses, ending self-monitoring and support forcing all companies to monitor every single water outlet under independent supervision so companies can no longer cover up illegal sewage dumping. And introducing severe and automatic fines that water companies can’t afford to ignore for illegal sewage discharges.

The Tory sewage crisis is destroying our countryside, trashing nature, damaging tourism and putting peoples’ health at risk.

Successive Conservative Governments have failed in their stewardship of our waterways, failed in their management of law-breaking water companies and most contemptibly failed the public in their access and enjoyment of these spaces.

Figures show that storm overflows dumped sewage into rivers and seas across England for more than 3.6 million hours in 2023, more than double the previous year, making 2023 the worst year on record.

Water bosses responsible for this horrific failure have brazenly awarded themselves over £25 million in bonuses and incentives since the last election.

On bathing water status, it was deeply disappointing that the Government rejected Chester’s application for designated bathing water status earlier this year. Alongside the WI and local activists, I campaigned for this, and I share their frustration and disappointment. Securing this status is an important step towards the wider ambitions to improve water quality.

I wrote to Ministers sharing my disappointment that Government moved the goalposts during the application process and urged them to reconsider the disappointing decision.

I will continue to work alongside Cheshire West and Chester council, local groups and other stakeholders to make sure we are ready for future consultations or changes to the requirements so we’re successful in the next round of applications.

I would also like to thank all local activists including members of Chester Frosties who work so hard on the ‘Clean Dee’ campaign.

7. What are your thoughts on our future relationship with the EU?

We are living during a time of increasing insecurity and instability. During these worrying times, we need to work closely with our allies both in NATO and the EU. Labour will seek a new defence and security pact with the EU to tackle the shared threats we face; this will include working with the EU on the issue of illegal immigration. We will also work hard to improve our trade relations with our closest trading partners to make sure we deliver the crucial economic growth we need to deliver a decade of national renewal.

The issue of Brexit divided our society, and we now need to make the best of the situation after 14 years of Tory chaos.

8. Is a trans woman a woman?

Yes, a trans woman is a woman. It’s important to respect and support people for who they are.

9. What is your stance on immigration?

Immigration is important to Britain – people have come here for generations to contribute to our society and work in our economy and our public services.

That’s why it is so important that it is properly controlled and managed, so the system is fair.

Under the Tories, migration has hit record highs. Small boat crossings so far in 2024 are higher than ever recorded at this point in the year.

The Conservative plans are expensive, unworkable and have been deemed illegal. People have had enough of their gimmicks.

Sunak’s failing Rwanda plan will cost £2 million per person removed – more than half a billion pounds for just 300 people when over 30,000 people arrived in small boats last year. That means this scheme will cover less than 1% of arrivals.

We need to rebuild our asylum system, tackle criminal gangs, and prevent the exploitation of some of the most vulnerable people in the world.

Labour will act to bring down migration, strengthening wages and conditions for Britain’s workers, linking our skills plans for young people with the jobs our businesses need to fill, and implementing a practical plan to tackle the small boat chaos.

Labour is taking this issue seriously. It is part of Keir Starmer’s first steps. You can read more about our plan here: https://labour.org.uk/updates/stories/labours-immigration-and-border-policy-stop-small-boats/

10. What 3 key policies from the national manifesto will encourage people to vote for you

Labour’s manifesto is a detailed and fully funded plan for growth and a decade of national renewal that will get our country’s future back.

There are many brilliant policies that will help transform our country for the better. From devolving powers to local authorities so that decisions are made at the heart of our communities, improving our roads and public transport to getting our NHS back on its feet. It is hard to pick just three. While I’ve chosen three that I find very important, other people might be interested in other areas too. I would encourage everyone to take a look at the full manifesto, especially if they are still undecided.

Firstly, Labour will create economic stability and growth that will benefit everyone through the creation of Great British Energy. Since the illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022, we have seen how a reliance on fossil fuels has exposed us to volatile energy prices on the international markets, driving costs up for families and businesses in the UK.

To deliver a just transition, we need GB Energy, a new, publicly-owned clean energy company.

GB Energy will harness renewable energy (solar, wind, tidal) to save £93 billion for UK households, deliver one hundred percent clean power by 2030, cut energy bills for good and create thousands of local jobs.

This will drive energy security and make the UK energy independent, something increasingly important in a volatile international climate.

Secondly, Labour has a strong policy on defence and a plan to support our armed forces personnel, veterans, and their families.

Former Conservative Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, admitted the Government has hollowed out our armed forces.

Chester, Neston and our local area have strong historic ties to our armed forces. This is something we are proud of. From the Dale Barracks, which I am determined to keep open, to HMS Albion, which I campaigned to keep in service, we must continue to support our service personnel who are at the heart of our country’s security.

Many people in our community are veterans. We should thank them at every opportunity for their service. And to boost support for them, I want to continue working with the fantastic Westminster Centre for Research in Veterans at the University who are conducting ground breaking research which could make a significant difference to veterans’ lives.

Labour is committed to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence as soon as we can, securing our country’s future, and getting the best value for money for British taxpayers. We will maintain an unshakeable commitment to NATO and our nuclear deterrent, and put a renewed focus on improving morale in our armed forces.

Finally, when I was younger, the Labour Government and public services were focused on supporting my family. We thrived here, and I want other families to do the same. Labour is committed to breaking down the barriers to opportunity and investing in our children and young people to bring the best out of everyone and create a brighter future.

That’s why Labour will recruit 6,500 new expert teachers in key subjects, create 3,000 new primary school-based nurseries and introduce free breakfast clubs in every primary school. We will establish a modern curriculum so young people are ready for work and life as well as champion high-quality apprenticeships and specialist technical colleges to deliver the skills we need.

Everyone should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential, no matter their background.

11. What improvements to active travel and public transport in the area will you make?

People need to have a choice about how they travel whether to work or leisure. If people want to cycle or take the bus or train, instead of a car journey, it needs to be a viable option. Labour has recently announced its plans to tackle over a million potholes every year to make our roads safer for cyclists and drivers as well as tackling the soaring cost of car insurance.

Labour’s long-term plan for roads will speed up works, reduce traffic and make our highways safer for all users. I’m proud Chester hosted its first Active Travel Festival last year and loved visiting it again this year as part of the Big Green Weekend.

Most journeys on public transport are taken on the bus. Since 2010, over 3,000 bus routes have been cut across the country. We need buses to go to the places residents need to go. It’s impossible to reach some parts of the new constituency by bus in the evening. The Labour Party therefore plans to allow every community to take back control of local bus services. This is central to getting people to where they need to go affordably and sustainably.

And all too often we see cancellations and delays of vital rail services. This damages our economy and attractiveness as a city for visitors and tourists. We need to realise the significance of Chester Station as a hub for the region and develop the Wrexham/Bidston line to provide reliable services at Neston station. The Labour Party has a long-term plan for our rail network to ensure our railways work with passengers in mind, not profit. You can read that at : https://labour.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/GETTING-BRITAIN-MOVING-Labours-Plan-to-Fix-Britains-Railways.pdf

12. What is your stance on fox hunting?

We are nation of animal lovers. The current laws on fox hunting are simply not robust enough and for too long trail hunting has been used as a smokescreen for illegal fox hunting.

In 2021, Cheshire West and Chester Council were the first local authority in the country to ban trail hunting on council land. Other local authorities and organisations such as the National Trust soon followed suit.

I am pleased Labour have taken a serious approach to tackling animal abuse issues including fox hunting and have committed to closing the loopholes in this outdated law.

13. Would you support the introduction of a business rate on owners of student HMO and purpose built student accommodation?

Having served as the councillor for Chester city centre for 12 years, I know that students are exempt from Council Tax and I appreciate that the cost of living crisis has impacted students as much as everyone else. My fear would be that a ‘tax’ such as the one suggested here would be passed directly on to students by their landlords.

Nonetheless, there is a ‘cost’ in terms of waste collection and the provision of other amenities. The question is how that cost can be recouped.

There are so many benefits that come with being a student city and everything that they and the University of Chester bring to our local area. They keep many of our local businesses afloat and their studies benefit our community in many ways that may not be appreciated such as the training of teachers, nurses and midwives who work in our local area. We are ‘repaid’ when graduates remain in the city and make Chester their home for the long-term. We need to do as much as we can to encourage graduates to stay.

14.What are your thoughts on housing policy and substandard social housing?

We are in a housing crisis.

Rent and mortgage repayments are skyrocketing, social housing waiting lists are longer than ever, and home ownership has become a distant dream for many young people.

Housing, particularly social housing, is one of the top issues that constituents have come to talk to me about. I’ve dealt with more than 1,300 individual housing issues since elected.

My team and I have worked hard to help resolve each one of these cases as well as setting up a successful housing surgery during which we helped 40 families in just one day. Something I hope to continue if elected.

Sadly, by the time people reach out to MP’s offices for help, there is a long history of issues. It shouldn’t take an angry letter from the MP for housing providers to sort out a problem.

The cost-of-living crisis has only escalated the issues. People not turning on their heating in order to save money results in more cases of damp and mould which can seriously harm their health.

Urgent action is needed to tackle the current housing emergency that has left millions unable to plan their lives, start families, or build a future for themselves and their kids.

Labour’s housebuilding targets will see 1.5million new homes built within the first five years of a Labour government, delivering the biggest boost to affordable housing in a generation, creating new towns and ensuring first dibs for first-time buyers.

We also urgently need to retrofit homes in the constituency. My worry is that given 20% of the homes in Chester alone date back from before 1919, tradespeople need to have the right skills to tackle retrofitting properly. That’s why I brought together Historic England, the Cathedral and the skills team at Cheshire West and Chester Council to work on ‘skilling up’ our local workforce. There’s so much more to do after a promising start.

15. How would propose to solve the current social care crisis which takes up a high % of council budgets?

Currently 70p in every £1 of council tax is spent on children’s and adult’s social care. This is due to a perfect storm in society made worse by years of austerity and the current cost of living crisis.

So much of the budget is spent at the sharp end of care. For example, a residential place for a child in care can cost upwards of £10,000 a week. This is disgraceful profiteering off the most vulnerable in society and needs to stop. We also need to change the dial on care and become more preventative. If we can keep families together, if we can keep older adults living independently for longer, we can reduce this amount spent at the end of the system.

Labour’s plan for social care reform will mean a programme of reform to create a National Care Service, underpinned by national standards, delivering consistency of care across the country. Services will be locally delivered, with a principle of ‘home first’ that supports people to live independently for as long as possible. Our new standards will ensure high-quality care and ongoing sustainability, and ensure providers behave responsibly.

We will also make sure the social care workforce have the right terms and conditions by establishing a Fair Pay Agreement in adult social care.

Fixing such a broken system won’t happen overnight but only with Labour in government will we see an improvemeent in these vital services

16. What are your plans for dealing with the cost-of-living crisis and the rising need for foodbanks?

The cost-of-living crisis has affected everyone. People having to use foodbanks that never before thought they would have to rely on their services.

It is unacceptable that under the Conservative Government, use of foodbanks has risen to a record high. I pay tribute to the staff and volunteers who help some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, but I cannot wait for the day we no longer need foodbanks. They should not exist in our society.

By talking to residents and businesses in our local area, I have seen the detrimental effects the rising costs are having. People are really struggling. We must not forget the last 14 years of economic mismanagement from the Conservatives, including a disastrous mini-budget which sent the markets into a spiral and crashed the economy overnight. It is hard working people who are still paying the price.

We need economic stability to encourage the growth we so desperately need.

Labour will introduce free breakfast clubs to all primary schools, make work pay with a New Deal for Working People and create 650,000 good jobs across the country through the National Wealth Fund.

17. Building on recent success, Storyhouse, Northgate etc what are the next steps in revitalising the city centre?

I’ve always been personally invested in Chester’s city centre. I was the Councillor there for 12 years and I’ve always fought for the people living there and the thriving businesses that make it such a special place.

We already have an exciting framework for the future of the city centre set out in the Chester One City plan. We have some brilliant partners in the city championing its interests who get things done. I’m an ambassador for one of these partners – Chester Great and Small. They have had a productive first year and we will need everyone in the city to work together for the investment our wonderful city needs and deserves. I know there are some potentially exciting developments in the pipeline that will certainly help the city centre.

Northgate phase 2 will bring more people to live in the city which will in turn boost its transformation significantly and support our town centre businesses. My big challenge for this project is that we look to create something that has really strong environmental credentials and which builds town centre communities rather than simply apartments.

Labour’s plan for small businesses will be brilliant for the high street and will certainly help Chester thrive. We will replace the business rates system, with a new system that will level the playing field between the high street and online giants. And revitalise Britain’s high streets by tackling anti-social behaviour through the introduction of new town centre police patrols.

However, I don’t just want to see regeneration of the City Centre in Chester. I want to see it across all areas and all different types of high streets such as Neston, Willaston, Blacon and Hoole.

18. What are your views on renationalising services and utilities?

After 14 years of Conservative failure, it’s clear that our public services and the nation’s finances are in a mess. Fixing our public services will be crucial in restoring faith in politics. However, given the dire financial situation that Labour would inherit should we win the trust of the public, we must be pragmatic in our approach with any nationalisation and be mindful of any potential cost to the public purse.

I support Labour’s commitment to bringing rail back into public ownership as and when contracts expire or if there are any breaches in contract. In the case of Avanti West Coast, that will be no later than October 2026, or earlier if they are found to have been in breach of their contract before this date.

To make sure our energy supplies are more secure, following the disruption caused by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Labour will create Great British Energy a publicly owned clean power company, to cut bills for good and boost energy security, paid for by a proper, time-limited windfall tax on oil and gas giants. It will be owned by the British people and deliver power back to the British people.