UKIP candidate responds to Thame questions

THE UKIP candidate for the Henley constituency has been the first to respond to questions put to him and the other election candidates by ThameNews.Net readers yesterday.

Along with all the other candidates, Laurence Hughes for UKIP was asked a series of questions about local issues. Here are the questions posed and Laurence Hughes’ answers:

1. Do you think that the proposed 850 new homes earmarked for Thame by the South East Core Strategy will be good for the town, or not?

A: I believe there is a need for a moderate number of affordable homes for local people, but 850 are far too many for a town like Thame and will alter its character altogether. Also any such decisions should be
taken through local democratic bodies and not by unelected quangos.

2. What will you do to persuade the government (if your party forms or is part of a balanced government) to do something about the economic viability of market towns?

A: First and foremost, to maintain economic viability I would push for a major reduction in bureaucracy and red-tape for local businesses and the removal of employers’ national insurance contributions (‘the tax
on jobs’) – these are all UKIP policies.

3. How will you ensure that Thame Community Hospital remains as such and that the promised future development of is services will good ahead, without losing the 12 beds currently available?

A: UKIP propose that health services be organised on a county basis under an elected County Health Board which will be answerable democratically to the needs and wishes of local communities.

4. Thame is trying to ‘go green’ with several groups springing up, ie Greening Thame and Transitions Towns; What will you do to ensure that Thame and other market towns can move towards becoming a sustainable community?

A: I would support any projects into sustainable and renewable ‘green’ projects, particularly those involving practical and cost-effective recycling and new, cleaner technologies. People should be given
incentives to be greener in their lifestyles, not be bullied into it by surveillance and threats from the authorities.

5. Some people in Thame are concerned about decisions being taken by their local councils without consultation, i.e the transfer of the town’s swimming pool from town council control to district council control, after the people of Thame campaigned for a pool and raised thousands of pounds for it?
What will you do to increase local democracy – if of course you agree that it is a good idea!

A: UKIP support independence and democracy – we want to restore and re-invigorate both national and local democracy. So we would push for all decisions affecting local communities to be taken as far as
possible by locally-elected bodies, according to the wishes and needs of local communities.

6. What is your view on the future of education in this country?

A: UKIP want a return to high-quality education with high standards; we would give schools, colleges and universities much greater freedom from central government interference so that they can get on with
their job of educating people. We would guarantee a grammar school in every major town. We would also encourage more young people to go into apprenticeships and technical training rather than have artificial
targets for them to gain low-quality university degrees in not very useful subjects.

7. Would your party (if it gets into power) reduce funding to Oxfordshire’s county and district councils for such things as social services and eduction?

A: We would not reduce funding for county or district bodies but would seek to make sure they give efficient and value-for-money services to the community and are accountable to the public in their activities.

8. Would your party (if it gets into power) cut funding for Thames Valley Police Force?

A: We would aim to increase funding and manpower for Thames Valley Police, on the condition that bureaucracy and form-filling are kept to a minimum, and the maximum number of officers are out on our streets, deterring and preventing crime, through a serious return to beat policing.