Chris Grayling - Conservative

To me this election is about where and how we are governed. For too long we have suffered from decisions taken in remote Government offices or quangos.

Why should it be a planning office in Bristol that decides whether or not there should be a Tesco in Ashtead. Surely decision like that should be taken in Mole Valley?

Why should it take a brave Chief Constable in Surrey to start tearing up the paperwork that comes from Government? Surely we should have a Government which says – let’s leave our police officers to get on with the job and not give them endless rules and regulations which keep them off the streets of Epsom and Ewell.

Why should a housing diktat from Central Government mean that all the backland areas of Nork are under pressure from development, rather than local councils deciding what is right for our area?

But along with the vigorous national debate about priorities, for me the main local issue remains the same that it has always been since I was first selected as a candidate in this area ten years ago.

The future of our hospital.

I have fought battle after battle to keep its A&E and maternity departments. Together with people from across our community and across the political spectrum, I have marched, delivered petition forms, held public meetings, and so far, touch wood, we have held the line.

In recent months things have seemed much more hopeful than they have done for a while. The immediate threat to services has receded, though it has not gone.

Conservatives plan, if we are in Government, to protect smaller maternity units, like Epsom’s, by integrating them into a network of hospitals. That would allow staff to get a broader range of experience by working in different places, without undermining the work of the smaller units.

But NHS Managers in London are planning big changes, after this Government’s review of hospital services, that could mean further challenges are on the way.

So if the threats re-emerge, I will be back at the front of a campaign to protect the services we all want to see at Epsom Hospital.

And in the meantime the campaign team remains vigilant, and ready to move into action if it is needed.

This has been a great area to represent for the past nine years. I hope people locally have a sense that despite my national roles, I have remained a conscientious local MP, ready to work on behalf of the area in which I live.

My commitment to you is that none of that will change. Whether it is threats to our heritage, controversial development plans, the future of our hospital, or the countless individual problems that occur, I will do what I can to make a difference.

And this time, I hope that I can also be part of a team that starts to make a real difference to our country, to change some of the things that have so frustrated people over the past thirteen years. And to play a part in shaping a better future for all of us.

Jonathan Lees - Liberal Democrat

Jonathan Lees is your local Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate. He lives in this community, his children go to local schools and he is active in the local community from being a local councillor to the local church, to football teams to Fair Trade.

Last time Mr Lees came second pushing Labour into third place. Labour have failed us nationally and the Tories have failed us on the county. Between them they have passed the keys to Number 10 back and forth over the last 65 years merely to deliver more of the same. We need to move forward with fresh thinking, a local agenda and fairness at the heart.

The Liberal Democrats are standing for Fairness at this election - fair taxes for all, a fair start for children, fair transparent and local politics and a fair sustainable economy. A manifesto that would impact our community.

Locally Jonathan is highlighting five priorities for our community: Transport. From the state of our roads and our pavements to the poor provision of buses and trains, this area has not been well served. We must ensure that from Government to the council, investment is made and action is taken or Epsom will eventually seize up.

Education. Our local schools and colleges must be fit for purpose and provide for our local young people. We need to ensure that they have the support to become centres of excellence, quality teaching establishments for pupils and students of Epsom & Ewell and that school places are allocated fairly.

Local health needs. The debate around the future of Epsom hospital is of great concern. Whilst we seem to have a way forward there remains a concern about how viable or realistic it is. We must ensure that there is a quality health service free at the point of need for all the people in Epsom & Ewell not just for those that can afford it including dentistry and other services.

Local businesses. What is being done for our local businesses? In this area we have the unique equestrian industry but too little is done to ensure that it continues to flourish and benefits our economy. There is a lack of support given to other small businesses and the town centre needs support to bring new life into Epsom. We need a full review of the business rates system, as it is a nonsense that rates aren’t decided locally.

Social fabric. Not enough is done to protect and reinvigorate the social fabric of our communities. We need to recognise what a fantastic service is delivered through our voluntary and community sector through unsung heroes. We need to invest not just through money but policies and practices that remove red tape and allow services to flourish whether these are services for our elderly or for our vulnerable children. We need to support our volunteers, promote the environment and encourage fair trade.

Be decisive, vote Liberal Democrat this election. It will not leave Labour in power but demonstrate a clear agenda of what needs to happen.

Craig Montgomery - Labour

In the international downturn, we have had to make a number of difficult choices.

In 2007, many were predicting a 1930s-style depression, but Labour’s decisions to bail out the banks, support the economy to save people’s jobs and work with other countries to take concerted action have ensured that the UK economy is now growing faster than almost any other G7 economy.

We do not need to guess what David Cameron would have done, because we know – he opposed us every step of the way.

Last week, I spoke to an Epsom newsagent for whom Labour’s VAT cut made the difference between her staying in business and closing-up.

David Cameron said it was a waste of money, but tell that to the local people who work in that shop or the local businesses that supply that shop or the hundreds of other businesses in the same position. Thanks to our actions, unemployment and house repossessions were this time half what they were in the early 1990s.

We are not out of the woods yet. Every G20 government agrees that we must continue to support the economy to secure the recovery, rather than introduce tax breaks and immediate spending cuts, as the Tories have pledged. Only when the recovery is secured, will there have to be cuts, and tax rises for those who can afford it. Our manifesto sets out a detailed plan to halve the deficit by 2014.

Public services are also safer with Labour. I am a governor of a primary school in a deprived area and when I see the investment that has gone into those children’s education and compare it to the leaking roofs, Portakabins and underpaid teachers I saw when I was at school in the 1980s, the difference could not be starker.

Millions of people’s lives are measurably better now than they were in 1997: from the worker who earns a living wage, rather than £1 per hour, to the pensioner who receives up to £400 a year in winter fuel payments, the parents who rely on their local Sure Start Children’s Centre and the NHS patient who waits weeks rather than months and years for NHS treatment.

We would build on this, but David Cameron’s first priority is a £200,000 tax break for the 3,000 richest estates.

My manifesto for Epsom sets out a bold vision of a future fair for all. I will support jobs and businesses to secure the recovery; fight for affordable housing – whether for low income families or young people who struggle to afford their own place; and improve public transport as part of our commitment to tackle climate change.

In these uncertain times, no-one knows exactly what challenges the next four years will bring, so elect a government whose instincts you trust. This is a two-horse race and the Tories are a change you can’t afford.

Peter Ticher - Radical Reform

Our local manifesto comprises three main strands.

First, the absolutely essential need to not only maintain but to expand the services of Epsom Hospital, which is a pivotal part of the health services for a wide area of North Surrey. Without it, people from not only Epsom, Ewell and Ashtead but also Dorking, Reigate and other smaller areas would have to travel many miles to obtain the essential services currently provided by Epsom.

Secondly, there is undoubtedly a need for better shopping facilities in Ashtead that would not only occupy what is the present eyesore on The Street, but would also supply the extended shopping requirements and choice, both in opening hours and range of groceries that could be supplied by a small supermarket of the Marks and Spencer food shop type, and also the extended opening hours for those living in Ashtead with mobility problems, without affecting the villagey atmosphere currently enjoyed by residents.

Thirdly, voters in the Epsom, Ewell and Ashtead constituency urgently need a change in the voting system to some form of proportional representation that would allow them to be represented in Parliament by someone whok had the overall majority support of the community - which Mr. Grayling has not had in two of the last three General Elections - and who could vote on issues with his own conscience and independently and not in accordance with the dictates of a national political party, as Grayling would be compelled to by the Whip system as a senior member of the Conservative Party.

Elizabeth Wallace - UKIP

Dismantle SEEDA, SEERA, GOSE etc. Return power to our own elected Borough, County or Unitary authorities Give the people a voice by having referenda on any major local issues eg large housing developments, the methods of waste disposal, hunting etc.

Pubs can choose to have a room for smokers Introduce a local sales tax to replace VAT – funds fed back into local economy
Build local grammar schools Make the 11+ vocational as well as academic
Bring back the 3Rs in early years to give a sound foundation Set up locally elected County Police Boards to set local policing priorities Restore free NHS eye tests and dental checks
Locally run hospitals run by elected Health Boards – restore a Matron with all her/his old powers to ensure clean wards.

Invest £3 bn per year in the road and rail system Reopen some local lines closed by Beeching
Stop the persecution of the motorist – take down any camera not needed for genuine safety grounds
Build more social housing Encourage the use of empty houses Introduce Council run Workfare projects to improve local communities – ie work done to earn benefits