With a general election right around the corner, here are the issues residents in South Suffolk care about.
Despite a few changes over the years, with boundaries now matching the district of Babergh, the constituency has only been represented by two Conservative MPs since its creation in 1983.
Both candidates, Tim Yeo and James Cartlidge, have gone on to land central roles in their respective governments as ministers for the environment and defence procurement respectively.
I took to the streets of Sudbury and Hadleigh to ask residents what their top three concerns were ahead of polling day next Thursday, July 4 — in total, 23 people stopped to chat.
Across both towns, the NHS was by far the biggest concern topping voters’ list, with 18 mentions, 11 of which referred to long waiting times as a primary problem and another seven spoke about the lack of dentists.
A further five people expressed the need for a new hospital to serve the constituency, with one saying ‘it wouldn’t be asking much to have a hospital that’s not falling apart’.
Besides the NHS, voters shared several concerns relating to financial pressures, including concerns over the affordability of social care (5), low pensions (5), low benefits (1), and overall cost of living concerns (4).
The topic of roads in the district was also brought up by 10 residents, with six calling for more to be done about potholes and four were worried about congestion within the town centre.
Some issues coming up ever so often included the need for investment into education, particularly schools not fit for purpose (6), and the need for controlled immigration (4).
Cropping up more sparingly was the need for investment into town centres (3), homelessness (2), antisocial behaviour (2), transport (2), and the impact of the Norwich to Tilbury pylon project (1).
With the breadth of issues, also came a split between those who had already decided, with 14 saying they had their mind set on a candidate, and those who still hadn’t chosen, with nine on the fence.
Although those who spoke to me were not representative of the constituency as a whole, and candidates might have had a different experience on the doorstep, their responses gave a flavour of what’s on voters’ minds ahead of the ballots.
So, what do candidates think?
Labour Party
The Labour candidate for South Suffolk, Emma Bishton, said restoring honesty and hope in politics, by working for local residents, topped her priorities list.
She said, her work would include long-term fixes for public services, such as reforming and funding the NHS to make sure residents can get appointments with doctors and dentists, and investing in social care, and education.
Ms Bishton also said she would work to protect the environment and tackle climate change without putting undue burdens on businesses and taxpayers, focusing on low-cost energy.
Green Party
Jessie Carter, who represents Sudbury at both county and district levels as a councillor, is taking the Green mantle for the constituency.
She said her top priorities included not only addressing issues surrounding the NHS, including waiting times, appointments, and dentistry but also the financial pressures still being felt by residents, such as high prices and energy bills.
Ms Carter also said she would push for more attention to be paid to education, including schools not fit for purpose, making sure life skills are taught, and addressing unaffordable tuition fees for university students.
Conservative Party
Having represented South Suffolk since 2015, James Cartlidge will be looking for a fourth consecutive term.
He said he would achieve better health outcomes and drive educational standards by campaigning to rebuild West Suffolk Hospital and Ormiston Sudbury Academy.
Mr Cartlidge also said having a local say in new housing developments was part of his key priorities after residents shared worries about untrammelled development in the area.
ReformUK
Speaking about residents’ priorities, Beverley England, the Reform candidate, said she would focus on controlling legal and illegal immigration as a way of tackling issues with public services, such as waiting times for doctors and dentists.
She also said she would also focus on the cost of living by ensuring only those who pay into the system receive benefits, making sure people see value for money for their taxes.
Mrs England’s third priority would be in relation to education after voters shared worries about what is being taught to young children, lack of life skills, and big debts when leaving university.
Liberal Democrats
The Lib Dem candidate, Tom Bartleet, said three issues were by far the most raised while canvassing: the NHS, the economy, and the cost of living.
He said he would call for all elderly and disabled care to be free — funded through reverse tax cuts on big banks — and create a South Suffolk Healthcare Summit for professionals and local authorities to meet with MPs and other stakeholders.
Mr Bartleet also said he would push for business rates to be scrapped and replaced by a commercial landowner levy to support local businesses, as well as ease border delays and make sure energy suppliers paid their fair share in tax to address cost of living pressures.
