NW HANTS CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE: Kit Malthouse
"The Conservatives are the only party offering to get Brexit done"
CONSERVATIVE parliamentary candidate for North West Hampshire Kit Malthouse said the matter of Brexit was “blocking out the sun” and that he was determined to continue his work on local issues.
Mr Malthouse has been MP for the constituency since being elected in 2015 and has been minister of state for crime, policing and the fire service since July.
Speaking to the Newbury Weekly News, he highlighted three main reasons to vote Conservative.
“First of all, the Conservatives are the only party offering to get Brexit done – all the other parties are trying to find a way to obfuscate, avoid or cancel Brexit,” he said.
“Secondly, a vote for the Conservative Party means we’ll continue with a market-led, property-owning based economy rather than a return to 1970s state socialism.
“Thirdly, the Conservatives are the only party offering responsible spending and investment in public services and not fire-hosing supposedly free money at everybody who’s concerned.
“We want to keep public debt under control and the Labour Party in particular seems to have abandoned any pretence that it should be under control.”
On local issues, Mr Malthouse outlined his commitment to public spending to improve hospitals and keep the constituency safe.
He said: “Basingstoke Hospital is creaking at the seams and will require a replacement. We’ve secured £6m to develop the business plan for a new hospital, and I’m fighting for more investment in Andover Hospital.
“We’ll be recruiting 20,000 new police officers to keep the area safe, and we’ve been running a series of campaigns to improve road safety. Also regarding funding for local schools, I’m pleased to see the campaign I’m part of to get more funding has been successful, and we’re making sure our rural primary schools are protected and enhanced.”
Responding to criticisms from Lib Dem candidate Luigi Gregori about Mr Malthouse’s voting record on climate change and Brexit, Mr Malthouse said: “The constituency by majority voted to leave the EU and there’s a significant support for what I’ve been doing in Parliament. Don’t forget in 2017 I increased my share of the vote, post-referendum, on the promise that we’d leave the EU and I’m staying true to the promises that I made.
“It’s also false to claim that I voted against climate change – I’ve been a long-standing supporter of systemic change in our energy systems.”
