Voting for a new MP in Sherwood Forest? Here are your candidates and what they stand for, in 250 of their own words.
The seven candidates are listed in alphabetical order.
David Paul Dobbie — Liberal Democrats
David Dobbie and his partner Pam have children at secondary and primary school so they know the issues facing our education system.
David and Pam run a school community clothing group to reduce costs to parents during this cost-of-living crisis.
Our NHS is the top priority for the Liberal Democrats.
Everyone should be able to rely on quick access to high-quality local health services when they need them” says David Dobbie.
“We must make it easier to get a doctor or dentist appointment.”
“It is important for local communities to have their say in the planning process” says David.
As chairman of planning on his town council, David Dobbie brought in a Neighbourhood Plan which received strong approval at referendum.
David Dobbie works for a manufacturer in Newark and Sherwood.
He has previously worked as a science teacher at Rufford Comprehensive School and as a laboratory technician at Ollerton and Gedling.
“I want to see the Major Oak extension to the Robin Hood Line go ahead without delay” David says.
He is very familiar with the proposed route as he previously worked as a Coal QA Tester at High Marnham.
David Dobbie is very concerned about the decreasing quality of water in our rivers.
As a representative to the Trent Valley IDB (Internal Drainage Board), David is anxious about increasing flooding events and howpolluted floodwater impacts the land.
“The Liberal Democrats will always fight to protect our environment” he says.
Sheila Greatrex-White — Green Party
I am standing to become your Green Party MP for the Sherwood Forest constituency.
I have lived in Nottinghamshire all my life, with a career in the NHS and Higher Education, so I am very aware of the challenges faced by these sectors.
I am an active member of my local community having organised successful charity events over the last 20 years.
At a time when 31.6% of children in the constituency of Sherwood Forest are living in poverty, there are families having to use food banks to feed their children and babies are being born into homes where parents can’t afford to keep their houses warm during winter.
As a Green MP, I will campaign to tackle the cost of living crisis for the poorest in our society, advocating measures such as increasing Universal Credit and legacy benefits by £40 a week and abolishing the child benefit cap to lift 250,000 children out of poverty.
I am passionate about creating a fairer society and will fight to protect our NHS, clean up our dirty rivers and improve housing.
As an MP I will be your voice in Parliament for local concerns as well, for example, the Great North Road Solar Park, the proposed Bilsthorpe incinerator and the worrying upsurge in crime and anti-social behaviour across our constituency.
I will work hard to achieve a fairer, healthier future for all. Real Hope. Real Change.
Check out our Green Party manifesto at: greenparty.org. uk
Helen Rose O’Hare — Reform UK
As your Reform UK candidate, I believe every resident of Sherwood deserves to have their voices heard in Parliament.
I’m committed to representing the interests of our community at the highest level of government.
Sherwood Forest has had a massive growth in new homes with no addition to our services.
Fourteen years of Tory failure are coming to an end.
Labour would ramp up mass immigration and taxes even further.
Our contract with you covers the most important areas of policy summarised into:
1. Boost wages
Lift the income tax starting threshold to £20k to save the lowest paid £1,500 per year. This takes 7 million of the least well-off out of income tax to make work pay.
2. Freeze Immigration
All non-essential immigration frozen to boost wages, protect public services, end the housing crisis and cut crime.
3. Stop the boats
Small boats picked up and taken back to France — illegals in the UK detained and deported.
4. Zero NHS waiting list
Deliver our fully funded plan for zero NHS waiting lists in two years. Cut waste so more money goes to the frontline. Tax breaks for doctors and nurses to tackle the staffing crisis.
5. Cheap, secure British energy
Scrap energy levies and Net Zero to slash energy bills and save each household £500 per year.
Unlock Britain’s vast oil and gas reserves to beat the cost-of-living crisis and unleash real economic growth.
This is what I, as your Reform UK party MP, will fight hard for when elected.
Mark Spencer — Conservative
As someone who was born in Lambley, went to school in Calverton, and who has a family business locally, what matters to you matters to me.
I stood to be an MP in 2010 because I felt we were being neglected by Labour, and I was honoured to be voted in my neighbours to represent Sherwood.
I have secured over £60m of investment in the last year alone for the A614 and A6097 improvements including Oll-erton Roundabout together with £30m for Clipstone, Hucknall and Ollerton town centres.
We also have the Flood Alleviation scheme in Lowdham under construction, which will make a huge difference to local residents.
I am truly fearful of Labour’s plans to relax planning rules and allow more of our green areas to be lost to housing.
We have brownfield and inner city sites which should be built on instead and I will fight any attempt by Labour to impose unwanted housing developments on the greenbelt.
I want to see Gunthorpe Bridge upgraded, a safer access to the village and a fourth Trent crossing to ease the traffic going down the A6097.
A vote for me on July 4 is a vote for someone who truly cares about our community, and has a track record of helping local residents and delivering tens of millions of pounds of investment for our community.
I would be honoured to have your support once again to me your MP for Sherwood Forest.
Jeremy Paul Spry — Independent
This will be our seventh General Election in the 21st Century. How far forward has our democracy travelled? Not far enough.
Women outnumber men in the UK and yet, The Guardian headline of 2023 states: “Men dominate 95% of Local Authorities in Britain”.
This must change.
Every constituency must have two MPs — one female MP and one male MP.
Every election must have separate polling cards for female candidates and one for male candidates. Each voter selects their preferred candidate from each list.
Parliamentary representation will be doubled and a fairer and just system of Government created for all UK citizens.
This model must be used in all elections for town councils, district councils, borough councils, county councils, and police and crime commissioners.
Mayoral elections must have a female candidate and a male candidate elected to the positions of a female mayor and a male mayor to serve their constituents.
A democratic system has to be paid for, it does not come cheap.
A truly representative form of democratic government will pay for itself with the democratic advances that will be made possible.
Whatever the difficulties that are raised regarding this system, solutions will be found, and a consensus arrived at.
This patriarchal society must change. It is broken, and it now seems to many, to be beyond repair.
Our country goes to war on the say so of a male majority in Parliament. In 2024, 65% of our MPs were male.
Please consider voting for an independent candidate.
Lee Waters — Independent
Our communities in places like Boughton, Edwinstowe and Ollerton and the surrounding villages have been let down by party politics.
Like you, every time you switch the TV on politicians from the old parties are arguing and throwing insults at each other.
It makes my blood boil!
Our towns and villages have been let down for generations by the Tories and Labour parties.
I want to change this and have a strong track record of doing so.
I am one of the most successful councillors in the UK and was central to the success of a major, local Levelling Up Fund Bid, have protected our green belt which was under threat from the Tories and will be when Labour take over, built a new swimming pool whilst other councils shut their facilities and much more — all as an Independent.
Who needs party politics? You deserve the best.
Apart from the tired old parties, I am the only candidate who can win.
There are over two dozen Independent councillors across the Sherwood Forest constituency — more than any other political party.
I will work everyday with your Independent team to put you first
No other candidate can say that.
I will fight to fix our broken roads and pavements, for more bobbies on the beat, to improve access to your GP and an NHS dentist and to protect the environment we love.
Imagine what we could achieve together if I became your Independent MP?
Michelle Welsh — Labour
I am deeply rooted in this community, raised on a council estate in Nottinghamshire, the first in my family to go to university.
I have always worked for a better future for our communities, setting up local sure start services and working with the most vulnerable children and families living here. 14 years of a Conservative government and a Conservative MP who has voted for cuts to services and made excuses for lockdown parties in 10 Downing Street, whilst we made huge sacrifices.
It is time for change, a fresh start for Sherwood Forest. Together, we can build back a better future. Labour has a plan, and it is fully costed.
We will get the NHS back on its feet, fix our roads and pavements, support rural communities including our farmers who have been badly let down, justice for mineworkers pensions, support our businesses, switch on Great British Energy, tackle crime and anti-social behaviour with more police on our streets and set up a local rural crime unit. More teachers in our schools and free breakfast clubs, as a mum I know just how important this is. Improve bus services, extend the Robin Hood line and protect our greenbelt.
I will be a local, accessible MP and your voice in Westminster. Do not risk another 5 years with the Conservatives, vote for change and a fresh start for Sherwood Forest, vote for Michelle Welsh on the 4th of July. I will always put people before politics.
