Selby and Ainsty: 13 candidates in the race to be new MP
Voters go to the polls on Thursday (20 July)
Later this week, voters in one North Yorkshire constituency will go to the polls in a by-election.
The seat up for grabs is the Selby and Ainsty one.
It was triggered by Conservative MP Nigel Adams announcing he would stand down in June.
It's a seat that's been held by the Conservatives since its inception in 2010.
Voting in the by-election will take place this Thursday (20 July).
But the winner is expected to be announced early the following day.
Ahead of polls opening, we're hearing from the 13 candidates hoping to be the next MP for Selby and Ainsty.
We have contacted all candidates to hear their thoughts on the following issues: the cost of living, dentistry and provision for children with special educational needs.
Claire Holmes, Conservative Party
Keir Mather, Labour Party
Matt Walker, Liberal Democrats
Andrew Gray, Independent
Cost of Living
"With utmost haste, I would lead the charge to re-nationalize the failed Bank of England. The Bank failed to predict the inevitability of high inflation. Their policy of increasing interest rates punishes those on variable rate mortgages as well as renters. Their victims are people who are least able to withstand such increases, whilst those who have paid off their mortgage and who have cash in the bank are rewarded. It should be Parliament’s decision – not the Bank of England’s – to determine who suffers economic pain. We can live with high inflation if wages – both public and private – and benefits rise in line with inflation. The UK cannot control global prices."
SEND Provision
"Before I became a lawyer, I worked as Special Educational Needs Teaching Assistant. That was the most rewarding and exhausting job of my life. I wasn’t cut out for it. Also, I have a hidden disability myself, which has made campaigning quite difficult. I also run a small English language school. With this background, constituents should know that I am here to listen and that I have some personal experience of these issues."
Dentistry
"Frankly, for most people, there is no NHS dentistry provision. From the surveys I have run, only 21% can get an NHS dentistry appointment within a reasonable time. In addition, the survey data reveals that 60% want an NHS overhaul. Solo voices – like mine - can be the most powerful. Love him or hate him, Nigel Farage had the profile and power equivalent to 100 MPs; Caroline Lucas, too, moved mountains. The main parties won’t say it, but the people want it: the NHS needs to radically transform, and I will lead on it."
Mike Jordan, Yorkshire Party
Cost of Living
"The cost of living crisis disproportionally affects those on a low income. To help those I would propose the following.
"Setting up of a Community Shop as per the one in Knottingley, West Yorkshire. Nothing is free and the produce comes from excess at Supermarkets. A small charge is made and it would help those who do not want to go to Food Banks. It is also good for the environment in reducing waste. Council Rent reduction. The government imposed this on councils and could do it again. Council Guarantor Scheme for renters in private property. Often difficult for low income families who cannot get a council house to meet the criteria for a home in the private sector. The Council to fund the deposit for those who can show they have been paying council rates etc as well as being the Guarantor."
SEND Provision
"SEND provision was being looked at in the Selby Area several years ago. A site owned by North Yorkshire was identified but then a company owned by the council identified the site for housing so they moved to suggest another site in a small village out of Selby with no provisions which would have resulted in HGVs having to stop at a roundabout and then set off again, in the village. The entire village came to a meeting opposed to it. It needs to be done and it needs to be in Selby as originally planned."
Dentistry
"I flagged up the issue of the lack of dentists 4 years ago with the Conservative Group at North Yorkshire. They did nothing about it. What we now need is the following: Payback period for newly qualified Dentists needs to be increased. Any dental practise must have a strict % of NHS patients. A pay increase for NHS dentists."
Guy Phoenix, Heritage Party
Cost of Living
"The cost-of-living crisis is the biggest issue facing both the country and the residents of Selby and Ainsty. It has been caused by years of financial irresponsibility with the current government spending money it doesn’t have on subsidies for wind and solar energy, lockdown and furlough and now on escalating a proxy war between NATO and Russia in Ukraine. When the government spends more money than it has it needs to borrow it which is inherently inflationary. By more than doubling the national debt in the last 13 years and particularly in the last three years, the Conservatives have created a huge increase in inflation. We need to stop wasting money on wind and solar subsidies, the Ukraine war, HS2, migrant hotels, foreign aid, diversity officers, QUANGOs and never again impose a lockdown in order to bring our national budget deficit down to zero to stop inflation."
SEND Provision
"The Heritage Party supports different types of schools for different children with different abilities, needs and talents. There should be grammar, technical, general, specialist and special schools in every area. Most teachers do an incredible job but have to balance their core job of teaching their subject with a huge range of extra demands, and are not always able to dedicate the time and attention needed to SEND pupils in a comprehensive school setting. Special schools with specially trained teachers and facilities for SEND pupils will create better educational outcomes for those children."
Dentistry
"For decades, we have not been training enough dentists to provide the level of service required for the needs of people in this country. We need to lift the cap on the number of Dentistry degree places in the UK to fix the problem of the shortage of dentists in this country. In general, we need to train enough British people to be doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses and midwives to work in the healthcare sector without having to rely on a constant stream of migrant healthcare workers because we do not train enough people here to do the jobs that need to be done."
Nick Palmer, Independent
"Dentistry, SEND provision and the cost of living crisis are typical examples of how party politics frustrates ordinary voters. Despite my shared concerns in these areas, there is no point making you promises on these issues, because no by-election candidate can deliver on promises until they win the next General Election.
"However, if elected, I shall use all my energy and professional experience of scrutiny and improving processes to try and make life better for my fellow constituents. In short, I won’t be a party lapdog. Tribal party politics is ruining democracy in this country; please use this “free-hit” election to send your message of disaffection to the Westminster bubble. It is time for independent voices to improve politics."
Sir Archibald Stanton, The Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Cost of living
"The rise in inflation and the economic impact has caused the cost of living crisis. We would reduce inflation by giving everyone pins. We would incorporate Income Tax into the National Lottery so at least you stand the chance of getting your money back. State Pensions would be fixed at 100% of MPs salaries (except for retired MPs who have already bled the Country dry). We would ban greyhound racing in order to stop the Country going to the dogs."
SEND Provision
"Currently there are no SEND provisions in Selby meaning children have to travel out of the area. We would ensure that the planned new special school is delivered in order to further develop education provisions for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. We would increase funding in mainstream schools for SEND provision ensuring that mainstream schools are equipped to meet needs."
Dentistry
"Currently those who can afford to pay for treatment will do so- those who cannot face pain and misery. There is NO incentive to practice preventive dentistry and every incentive to exclude the patients with the greatest need. We would get rid of the hostile environment for practitioners created by successive governments and increase funding for NHS dental services. ALL OAP’s would receive FREE dental treatment."
Arnold Warneken, Green Party
Cost of living
"The Green Party would support families juggling with the dilemma of ‘heat or eat’ by reducing council house energy bills through better insulation, fitting solar panels, storage batteries and heat pumps, and making better grants available for private owners. Community growing areas would be required in new developments for families to grow some of their own food, and existing groups helped to find suitable land to start or expand community gardens Greens would provide financial help through an increase Universal Credit by £40/week, and the introduction of a Universal Basic Income to everyone, to be a safety net for people whatever their stage of life. These proposals would be funded by a 2% wealth tax on the super-rich, and a Windfall Tax on the energy giants’ enormous profits."
SEND Provision
"Selby & Ainsty has no provision whatsoever for autistic girls who need extra support in school. Local schools aren’t given sufficient funds to support special needs children, resulting in children being sent to an out-of-area school, or worse still receiving no education at all. In such cases, a parent has to stay at home to look after the child, often leading to an unmanageable reduction in family income and increased Benefits claims. The Green Party would make additional funds a priority for new local special needs schools to keep kids in their own community, as well as enhanced in-school provision."
Dentistry
"Selby has the 2nd lowest number of NHS dentists in the country, which explains why it’s so difficult to get registered as an NHS patient. The government must improve the contracts for dentists so that they can offer NHS dental care to everybody, and ultimately Greens would make NHS dental care free. More emphasis should also be placed on preventative care provided by local authorities, because we must avoid at all costs the situation where patients resort to pulling out their own teeth! The Green Party proposes spending an additional £6bn on the NHS each year until 2030."
Luke Wellock, Climate Party
"The Climate Party is a new political movement with the sole aim of leading the UK to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2030, one which capitalises on the vast opportunity it presents for the UK economy.
"Fossil fuels have been at the heart of the cost-of-living crisis. They’re not only polluting but are turning out to be expensive too. If we just take gas, it heats 78% of homes in the UK and generates nearly 40% of our electricity. The cost of that gas has gone through the roof and our dependency has left us with no option other than to pay the bill.
"Firstly, the Climate Party will drive unprecedented investment in 'home grown' renewable energy, including wind and solar and battery storage. This will give us far greater protection from swings in global energy prices, which we have no control over. Secondly, we think it's vital to help the millions of people living in poorly insulated homes. We will work with the construction industry to deliver a rapid retrofit programme, making homes cheaper to run and more comfortable to live in."
John William Waterston, Social Democratic Party
Dentistry
"NHS dentistry is broken. The NHS system gave up on this, optical health, mental health services and Care some years ago while consuming billions to do basic treatment services that most Western countries do better. It needs rebuilding from scratch."
Send
"Please see above. My appetite is for small local units instead of sending taxis back and forward over long distances to regional centres."
Cost of living
"40% of our energy bills are subsidising overseas companies who have captured our energy infrastructure in the cause of net zero. Nationalising our entire energy infrastructure would make energy security better and allow us to have a conversation about the need to give Drax £8 million subsidy each week to burn wood from Canadian virgin forests."
Tyler Wilson-Kerr, Independent
We have contacted Tyler Wilson-Kerr, Independent but he has, so far, been unavailable for comment.
Dave Kent, Reform UK
We have contacted Dave Kent Reform UK but he has, so far, been unavailable for comment.