Election interview: Richard Benyon

With just two days to go before the General Election, Newbury Today is re-running interviews with each of the eight candidates standing for the Newbury seat that first appeared in the Newbury Weekly News.

Today we profile Conservative candidate Richard Benyon on his policies and his chances in the upcoming May 7 General Election.

Keep an eye on our website in the run up to the election for all of the Parliamentary profiles

“We are very fortunate to be in a really prosperous area.”
Sitting Conservative Richard Benyon was feeling confident as the Newbury Weekly News visited the Tory HQ at Cheap Street to speak to the Englefield man who has held the Newbury constituency since clawing it back from the Liberal Democrats in 2005.
The husband and father of five children said that his priorities for Newbury if re-elected on May 7 included improving education and health provision, supporting businesses and developing transport.
On education, he said that he was proud of the districts achievements in being named in the top 25 per cent nationally for primary school grades and also the high achievement of GCSE and A-Levels.
He added: “There are problems in this area, and that is because Newbury is an expanding area and teaching is a very challenging role.”
He said in response to a series of Ofsted reforms that have radically altered the way schools are inspected: “We need to make sure that they are completely intolerant of failure.”
Of recently announced cuts to some education services across West Berkshire, including to the higher needs budget he said: “My understanding is that these cuts are not a done deal. We can be proud of the SEN provision in this area.”
Speaking of the rise in numbers of looked after children – those taken into care by the state - he said: “When you are young and vulnerable you get all the support but as soon as you turn 18 you fall off a cliff because you are suddenly an adult.”
He said he wants more support for those leaving state supervision to improve their outcomes.
He also stressed that he is fully supportive of the electrification of the Bedwyn train line. “Without it, we would have to build a new platform at Newbury station for one” he said.
He went on to heap praise on the local authority when asked on tackling the poor quality of some of the district’s local roads.
“I am a bit of a pothole geek” he said. “The Local Authority has been very successful in getting given money to enlarge their spending on roads maintenance.
“It costs £59 to repair a pothole in the country but West Berkshire can do it for £37.
“Many of my parliamentary colleagues look on at me with envy because I represent an area where the local authority had a plan.
“The local authority has a real emerging programme which I don’t want to see overshadowed by the general election.”
In 2010, when the Conservatives entered into coalition Richard Benyon became minister for natural environment, water and rural affairs and later lost the position during a cabinet reshuffle in 2013.
When asked how he felt leaving government two years ago he said: "I don’t spend a moment wondering and worrying about it.
"If I were to go back in government and got that chance there are one or two jobs I would consider doing, though.”
He highlighted defence as one area, but added: “My ambition was always to be MP for Newbury.”
Asked if he would be happy working in coalition with UKIP following the General Election he responded with a blunt “no.”
He explained: “I am a consensual sort of person. I have spent a lot of my time working with the Liberal Democrats and work very well with them. I have found very little to disagree with.
“I wouldn’t relish the idea of a pact with UKIP because I think it would take the government away from the central ground of politics.
“Some of their candidates have some very strange views.”
Labelled by the media as one of the UK’s richest MPs, I asked whether this changed people’s perceptions of him. He said it didn’t faze him and that “on the doorstep in the 25 years I have been canvassing I can count the times this has come up on one hand.
“They [voters] have very little interest in where we [politicians] come from.”
When asked who he would cast his lot in for the next Conservative party leader after David Cameron announced he would not stay beyond three full terms the sitting MP said: “I am very comfortable with David Cameron and I really don’t know about the future.
“The next leader may not even be in government.”
On the choices faced by voters come May 7 he said: “People will either role into bed with Labour led by Ed Miliband or a Conservative government led by David Cameron.”
He said that in spite of the surge in popularity for fringe parties the notion that the status quo would end was “highly questionable” but admitted “there is a general frustration with politics.”

Also standing in the General Election for the Newbury constituency is Barrie Singleton (Independent), Andrew Stott (Patriotic Socialist), Jonny Roberts (Labour), Catherine Anderson (UKIP), Paul Field (Green), Judith Bunting (Liberal Democrat) and Peter Norman (Apolitical).