Labour’s Luke Viner says we’ve got poorer under Tory control
Luke Viner, Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for South Cambridgeshire, says the party will put the government “back in the service of the British people”.
Mr Viner, who launched his campaign at Sawston Free Church, told the assembled crowd why he is standing to be elected as an MP.
He said: “I was born under the last Labour government, and received my early education under it. It gave me a great start, a passion for learning, including my love of music. Things worked then. You could see a doctor within 48 hours. Class sizes were under 30 and teachers were well respected. The economy had a long period of strong growth.
“However, since the Tories were elected, enabled for the first five years by the Lib Dems, things have gone downhill. Austerity brought terrible hardship and long-lasting damage to our services including the NHS, education and local council services. Nowhere near enough houses have been built, particularly truly affordable including social housing.
“Our economy has been wrecked by Tory incompetence. We are poorer, more taxed than ever before and what do we have to show for it?”
Mr Viner was supported by Labour fellow Parliamentary candidates Elizabeth McWilliams (Ely & East Cambridgeshire), Alex Bulat (Huntingdon) and Kevin Bonovia (Stevenage), and Labour’s Combined Authority mayor Dr Nik Johnson.
“I want to be elected so that I can represent the people of South Cambridgeshire at the very heart of a Labour government that is once again back in the service of the British people. A government that would work to return the country to how it should be run, cutting waiting lists, increasing the number of teachers, increasing the numbers of police officers on the beat, building 1.5 million new homes including many truly affordable homes and growing the economy,” he said.
Dr Johnson said: “Luke is very impressive. He is hugely energetic, very smart and totally committed to do the very best for the community has called home for five years. He understands the importance of cooperation, community and compassion and he would make a great MP for South Cambridgeshire.”
In the constituency, which now has revised boundaries, he will be taking on the Conservative candidate Chris Carter-Chapman, Liberal Democrat Pippa Heylings, Green candidate Miranda Fyfe, Adam Augustyn of the SDP and Harrison Edwards for Reform.
On education funding, Mr Carter-Chapman has said: “Our children deserve the best start in life and that is why we need better local education facilities. I welcome the government’s announcement of an additional £456m in school building improvements and I want to see these funds spent on schools in South Cambs. I will campaign for fairer funding and better education provision. I attended great local state schools and I want others to have the same opportunities.”
