Find out about the candidates standing in the Carshalton and Wallington constituency before you vote next month.

The constituency has traditionally been a Liberal Democrat seat and counts Tom Brake as one of the party’s two London MPs.

But the incumbent representative faces competition for votes from five candidates who will look to oust him from the seat he has held since 1997.

Those looking to unseat Mr Brake include Matthew Maxwell-Scott (Conservative), Emina Ibrahim (Labour), Shasha Khan (Green), Ashley Dickenson (Christian Peoples Alliance) and Nick Mattey (Independent).

UKIP said it would not field candidates in either of the borough’s constituencies, despite having scooped about 10 per cent of the vote two years ago.

We asked each of the candidates for their policies on this election's big talking points - health, education, the economy, the environment and Brexit - as well as the local issues they most want to see tackled. This is what they told us.

Tom Brake (Lib Dem -incumbent)

Your Local Guardian:

Health

The Lib Dems will plug the funding gaps for the NHS and social care by putting a penny on income tax. The tax would raise over £14m for the NHS in Sutton and £7 million for social care each year. Nationally the tax would raise £6 billion per year.

We are seeing patients lying on trolleys in hospital corridors, urgent operations being cancelled and the elderly being denied the care they need.

A penny in the pound would allow us to invest in improving local NHS services and ensuring the elderly receive the care they deserve.

Education

According to the latest figures, Sutton schools are facing a funding gap of £12.6m by 2019/20, with an average cut of £419 per pupil, which is the equivalent of losing 339 teachers.

Under Lib Dem plans we would reverse crippling Conservative cuts to school budgets and invest £31 million in Sutton schools to ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed. If re-elected, I will be a strong local voice fighting for your children’s future.

The Economy

The Liberal Democrats are fighting for the UK to stay in the Single Market and limit the impact Brexit will have on our economy.

We will continue to fight for sensible deficit reduction rather than returning to a time of runaway spending. We plan to create a fairer corporate tax code, where giant multinationals pay their fair share and help entrepreneurs with new ideas get access to the finance and technical support to make their plans a success.

We also want to support small businesses struggling to recruit the talent they need and new types of business models such as mutual and community interest companies.

Environment

The Lib Dems will prevent 40,000 deaths a year by passing a Green Transport Act and introduce an Air Quality Plan to reduce air pollution.

Under the Coalition, renewable electricity generation almost trebled and energy demand fell by 2.5 per cent a year. Liberal Democrats would ensure that producing renewable energy remains central to our energy strategy.

It costs over £1200 a year to heat and light an average home in the UK. Some energy companies are increasing costs twice a year – and with a falling exchange rate, costs are only likely to increase.

Brexit

The Prime Minister made clear that she will deny the people a vote on the final deal. So instead of a democratic decision by the people in the country, she wants a stitch-up by a small unrepresentative clique of politicians in Westminster.

I strongly believe that, just as people were able to vote for departure, they should be given a vote on the destination we are heading towards in our future relationship with the EU.

If the process started with a referendum it should end with another one. By providing a choice, the British public would be allowed to decide whether it is the right deal for them, their families, their jobs and our country.

As a Liberal Democrat, I will continue to make a strong case that this deal must include membership in the Single Market and fight for an open, modern and inclusive Britain.

Local priorities

• The future of St Helier hospital and securing the London Cancer Hub.

• Supporting our great local schools and ensuring our children succeed.

• Improving our transport links - better Rail services, bringing the Tram to Sutton, bringing the night bus back and improving pedestrian and cycling facilities.

Emina Ibrahim (Labour)

Your Local Guardian:

Health

I believe in fully integrated Health and social care. I am against the profit incentive in the NHS and oppose all privatisation, social care should be nationalised and we should expose the sustainability transformation plans that are driving the cuts.

I believe in reversing the out sourcing of back office and ancillary functions so that we have a fully accountable, publicly owned NHS.

Education

Schools need to be properly funded and we need to reduce class sizes. I am against academisation and I also believe the private schools should have their charitable status removed.

Having been educated in tough North London schools with much deprivation in the area, I am proud that Labour will bring in universal free school meals for all primary school children.

I know how tough it is for young people at university, many like me working on supermarket checkouts to get by, while facing mounting debts into the future. That’s why I’m delighted that tuition fees will be scrapped by Labour immediately with the 2018 in-take.

The Economy

I believe that we can get the economy moving through a programme of infrastructure spending and this will stimulate growth and raise living standards.

I strongly support a more progressive tax system that ensures the wealthiest pay more, whilst the many pay their fair share. I support a program of nationalisation of the railways and utilities. I also support rent controls to protect tenants in the growing private rented sector

Through my work as a trade union official in Local Government how tough it is for families. That’s why the Minimum Wage needs to be increased to £10 per hour and better protection afforded to people on zero hours contracts.

The environment

I have a particular interest in air pollution and welcome that it is the London Mayor’s top target in London. We need to invest in renewable energy and have a sustainable energy system. I am deeply concerned by the impact of the Beddington incinerator on local people.

I am committed to improving recycling rates, but believe the local council has turned this into a fiasco of late.

Brexit

I voted remain, although have always had reservations about the democratic deficit in the European Union. I believed in remain and reform. I do not support a hard Brexit however I also do not support a second referendum.

They are a very binary way of conducting government. To have a further decision by referendum is not learning the lessons of the last vote. The leave vote was a result of multiple factors, but in my view partly a roar of defiance by the people against political elites.

Local priorities

• I will stand up for the future of St Helier Hospital with redevelopment on the current site.

• I will tackle the shortage of affordable homes and give better protection to people renting in the private sector.

• I will fight for improved rail services by transferring regional over ground lines to Transport for London and extending wider transport links.

Shasha Khan (Greens)

Your Local Guardian:

Health

I am absolutely opposed to privatisation of our NHS. The NHS should be publicly owned, publicly funded and publicly accountable.

We will restore the 'duty to provide' health care by the Secretary of State for Health. The Health and Social Care Act passed in 2012 removed this obligation thus opening up much more of our NHS to private contractors. Equally important is to focus on joined up thinking. By tackling air pollution, reducing stress from work, inequality and poor housing, and measures such as sugar tax, we can reduced costs of healthcare.

Education

We oppose free schools and academies. We will abolish tuition fees and the rigid age related testing for younger children.

When one considers that teachers have a suicide rate double the national average, we then understand that we as a nation are not supporting teachers enough. I want to see us ensure every school is a good school.

Environment

As a Green I recognise the importance of clean streets, air, parks, rivers and gardens. We say no to fracking, and will invest in renewables just like China. We really must harness the power of the sun.

We have a US President that doesn't accept man-made climate change is a reality. Any influence we can exert should be used to bring the US back to international targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Brexit

I voted to remain but I did so in the belief that with 28 nations in the EU, each with a veto, the EU is unlikely to reform.

When we voted in 2015, we simply didn't know what leaving the EU would mean. Fore example, there was no discussion about the 'exit bill'. Greens will give the people a chance to vote on the final deal that is secured - a ratification referendum.

Local priorities

I take my lead from the people of Carshalton and Wallington to decide what is important to me.

From speaking to people, they are concerned about bin collections, stopping the Beddington incinerator and saving St Helier from potential closure.

Nick Mattey (Independent)

Your Local Guardian:

Health

75,000 people died in 2014 because of smoking there were 1.5 million hospitals admissions resulting from smoking. we need to put more effort into helping people manage excess drinking, smoking and obesity. We must make doctors surgeries open longer to stop And E being overwhelmed. More money should be spent on the NHS but wisely.

Education

Education in Sutton has become badly distorted. Our selective school’s cherry pick students. Parents are hot housing their children and parents who do not have the money for tutors see their children disadvantaged in competing in exams.

If free school meals are an indicator of a family’s wealth, the boroughs selective schools attract children from the richest families. All children should have an equal opportunity to go to all our secondary schools.

Many very able children are being prevented to going to our selective schools. Other schools in the borough deliver a fantastic education and the teachers deliver outstanding results. Our schools should be for the children in our borough and not children bussed in from other boroughs.

The Economy

People say we are a rich country. We trade a lot but our expenditure exceeds our income. Our Gross domestic product is not much greater than it was in 2008 but in that time our population has increased dramatically.

These means that we must either work more efficiently or accept declining wages. With Brexit, the value of the pound has fallen and this will reduce the attractiveness of our country to foreign workers.

Companies have been exploiting cheap labour and not investing in plant and machinery to increase output, this will need to stop. If we do not start exporting more and fighting for foreign markets the economy will shrink

Environment

In Sutton, the Viridor incinerator will push 300,000 tonnes of CO2 per year into the atmosphere. Beddington Sewage farm will struggle to deal with the increase in population and will need to process more and more sewage. Air quality is declining we need to get rid of all the old buses that travel our streets.

We need electrics and hybrids. The Tram is a good idea if it can provide a service that provides real environmental benefits.

The take up of solar PV has been poor in the borough, we need to incentivise solar and storage. The councils planned heat network is a waste of money that will save a tiny amount of CO2. If I was elected MP I would make sure all the hype from proposed environmentally friendly schemes was removed and the facts examined.

Brexit

From a financial point of view, it would have been best for me to vote remain. In the end my conscience made me vote Brexit.

The EUs championing of the diesel car was reckless, the EU capitulated to the powerful German car lobby. The EUs own bank the EIB has bankrolled incinerators in the UK. The EU now recognises this was a major mistake.

The EU have done nothing to limit CO2 emissions from the airline industry. Unfortunately, the EU has often acted selfishly and not in the best interests of the environment

Local priorities

• Air quality, the death toll in Sutton from poor air quality is estimated at around 270 per year.

• The Viridor Incinerator and the proposed 150,000 tonnes a year gasification plant, and the proposed 20MW gas fired power station

• Ending the Liberal Democrat stranglehold on local government politics.

Matthew Maxwell-Scott (Conservative)

Your Local Guardian:

Health

We're fortunate in Sutton to have great local healthcare but I'm determined to make it even better - with a young family I have an added vested interest in making this happen.

I was delighted to bring Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to St Helier Hospital a few weeks ago, he confirmed once again that it's here to stay and joined me in condemning those who are scaremongering by suggesting otherwise.

If elected I will work with the chief executive of the trust to make sure he can secure the investment required to fulfil his ambitious plans for both St Helier and a new facility on the Sutton Hospital site.

Education

Education is so important to me, and I'm so pleased my sons are able to go to a great local primary. I've been a governor of three schools - including Stanley Park High in Carshalton - and know how important it is to support our schools and teachers. School standards have gone up fast since 2010, with 1.8m more children in good or outstanding schools since then. We're putting even more funding to make sure more progress can be made, and have pledged a further £4bn in the Conservative manifesto. Sutton's schools are a great advert for our borough and I will do everything I can to help them.

The economy

A strong economy is the fundamental building block for our security as a nation. Without one, we cannot afford the excellent public services people depend on or be able to keep our citizens safe. Since 2010, the Conservatives have achieved so much, with more than two million new jobs created, the economy growing amongst the fastest of any developed nation and the government's budget deficit falling fast.

We need to build on this and make sure that the Brexit negotiations have economic growth at their heart.

Environment

Protecting our parks and green spaces is hugely important to me and to all of us in Carshalton & Wallington. They must not be taken for granted as they have been in recent years.

The vast new incinerator on Beddington Lane is just one example of the way local people's wishes are being ignored. If elected, I will help make sure that residents understand what sort of emissions the incinerator is pumping out and hold incinerator bosses' feet to the fire if they exceed any legal limits.

Brexit

Carshalton and Wallington voted by a 57-43 margin for Brexit, and in hundreds of conversations on the doorstep with people it's clear they want the Conservatives under Theresa May to get on with the job of securing the best possible Brexit deal.

Nobody I have spoken to wants another referendum on this, they just want the democratic will of the people followed and some leadership rather than prevarication from our politicians. Brexit is the issue that underpins this whole election and as the only candidate from a party with a clear plan for the future, there's a great responsibility on me to get this right.

Local priorities

• Holding the Lib Dem-controlled council to account

• Ensuring residents have access to good public services

• Improving local transport.

Ashley Dickenson (Christian Peoples Alliance)

Your Local Guardian:

The Sutton Guardian has attempted to contact Mr Dickenson and will include his responses as soon as we receive them.