“I CERTAINLY don’t believe a vote for me in this election is letting John Redwood in” - that’s the message from Labour candidate Annette Medhurst ahead of Thursday’s poll.
It is now just one day until the general election and candidates in Wokingham are still out door-knocking and canvassing.
The Liberal Democrats claim their candidate Phillip Lee is best placed to ensure Wokingham does not elect Conservative nomination Sir John Redwood as its member of parliament again.
READ MORE: Lib Dem candidate Phillip Lee asks residents to vote tactically tomorrow
But Woosehill resident Annette told the News she thinks Labour is offering voters an alternative choice.
“I think you should vote for who you believe in and what you believe in.
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“I can see them [The Liberal Democrats] mopping up some Conservative remain votes, but there are ever so many people left of the spectrum here who do not feel comfortable voting for them [Lee and Redwood].”
Despite having broken her ankle while out and about earlier in the general election campaign, Ms Medhurst has still been informing residents of her plans for the constituency.
She said she wants to see more money for schools and for children with additional needs, greater action against climate change and more funding support for the NHS.
“When I went to the urgent care centre when I broke my ankle three weeks ago,” she told the News, “I was talking to the nurse there and she said we have more people coming from Wokingham than anywhere else and she said it’s a direct result of them not being able to get a GP appointment.
“People are worried about that.”
Having moved to Wokingham borough more than five years ago, the Labour candidate shares many residents’ reservations about the increasing number of homes being built in the area.
She told the News it is important new builds are eco-friendly and that infrastructure is in place before new homes go up.
“I’ve been to Shinfield a couple of times recently and I hadn’t appreciated the scale of development that had gone on there”, she said.
“Where do people go for their pint of milk? Where do they go to see their GP? Where do their kids go to school?
“I still think we need housing, and that’s not what people want to hear, but I think it needs to be the right type of housing and in sympathy with the area.
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“The Labour Party’s policy here is investing more in social housing and council housing - I don’t think Wokingham needs more two-bedroom executive flats for £400,000.”
Brexit has been the central issue of this general election and Annette, who is also a school governor at her daughter’s school, said she “hand on heart” agrees with Labour’s policy to hold a second EU referendum after negotiating a new Brexit deal, should the party get a majority.
She said: “I voted Remain. If we had another referendum I would campaign for Remain again.
READ MORE: Brexiteer John Redwood says Brexit is best for our democracy
“A big part of who I am is about community and I want to be part of that wider community in Europe.
“It’s become such a divisive and polarising issue that I hand on heart agree with the Labour policy.
“I hope that will draw a line under it. The country needs to move forward. Brexit is just bubbling along in the background.
“There are all these other parts in our society which are crumbling away, like our schools and our NHS. Brexit is a really important issue but it is a distraction for all the other things going on in our society.”
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