AHEAD of the general election we are giving our readers the chance to find out more about what their local candidates stand for.

We will be asking all the candidates in South and West Dorset about the issues that matter to voters in the county and trying to give the electorate an insight into their priorities before they go to the ballot box on Thursday, May 7.

Today we hear from South Dorset Labour parliamentary candidate Simon Bowkett.

You can also watch a video interview with Mr Bowkett at dorsetecho.co.uk

1. How do you propose to make the voice of Dorset people heard in Parliament?

SB: I think one of the most important things is to have a good relationship with the Labour front bench.

It’s important to have a good relationship with your party and the other thing is to not get too caught up in the Westminster end of the role.

One of the criticisms I have of this Government is they don’t understand the impact of its decisions, because they are too caught up in the drama of Westminster and I am very conscious of that, and would stay in touch with local people because I think it’s very important.

2. Is enough being done at a national government level to support rural economies like Dorset?

SB: In a short answer, no.

I don’t think the Government understand and I don’t think they've done enough in developing infrastructure. To be a more attractive area for businesses you have to have good transport links. I think it’s mad that you can’t get to London in less than two hours. Developing the train links and the infrastructure is one of my main aims.

3. How will you protect frontline services such as the NHS and policing in the county?

SB: We have been really clear about the NHS funding in stark contrast to the Tories.

What we have said is we will put £2.5 billion into the NHS every year and we will be achieving that through a tax on the tobacco industries, a mansion tax on properties valued at more than £2 million and we will also close tax avoidance loopholes.

Another thing is to integrate the health and social care services.

With police, I get on very well with the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Martyn Underhilll but it’s Labour policy to do away with PCCs. People aren’t engaged with the PCCs and frankly we think it’s a waste of money.

The money would be reinvested into protecting frontline officers, and make sure the service is focused on the victims and not the offenders.

4. Recent years have seen cuts to many services in Dorset, would you expect to see more cuts or less during the next Parliaments if your party is successful in the elections?

SB: We are still facing a difficult financial climate, we are all aware of that. I would be very suspicious of any party that says there wouldn’t be any cuts.

The question is how to apply those cuts. Do you give tax breaks to the wealthiest, or do you say that those with the broadest shoulders take on the biggest burden?

We want the wealthiest people to pay their way in society like the rest of us do.

Savings will still need to be achieved, and investing in the way services are delivered and integrating services such as health and social care will do that.

5. Dorset, like much of the country, has an ageing population. What problems does this pose for Government and what do you propose to do to reflect the changing demographic?

SB: The two areas most elderly people in this constituency talk about is the health and social care they receive, and the rural transport and their ability to access these services.

Because local government funding is being cut, the services such as social care are most at risk and most of the people I have spoken to want to be able to access services at their homes, and elderly people do have concerns about living independently.

To tackle that, we need to create more posts for doctors, nurses and carers, to be able to give them the strength and support they need.

6. What would you do to improve the life chances of career opportunities of young people in Dorset?

SB: This has to be one of our priorities. I have real concerns local young people with aspirations tend to move away, because they don’t feel there’s a future for them here, and also because the cost of living in South Dorset is relatively expensive.

I don’t think this Government has worked well for young people at all. This Government has failed young people with apprenticeships, the overall number has gone down.

7. When you have been out on the doorstep talking to voters, what has been the main issue raised by the electorate?

SB: The main issue is the NHS, people are very concerned about that, followed by the lack of housing and then after that jobs.

With the NHS, there’s a huge variation in people’s experiences. Almost everybody says that the actual people working in the hospital, such as the Housing, is an issue that affects all demographics and with jobs, it’s not so much unemployment as under-employment, especially in places like Weymouth where there are a lot of zero-hour contracts 8. If you felt strongly about a local issue, would you be prepared to vote against your party line?

SB: Yes I would. You are there first and foremost to represent your constituency but equally, people have to be realistic about how politics works and you have to know when you play your cards.

Sometimes you can only grandstand once. On an issue of principle for the local area, they will want their local MP to go into bat for them but rebel too much and you risk losing them.

QUESTIONS FROM READERS

1. What will your party do to make sure young people are engaged in politics? Sarah Trott, aged 13.

SB: I think young people are engaged in politics, but not in party politics and who can blame them.

A lot of emails I get are from younger people and they are very passionate about politics and what it means to them. Politics, at the end of the day, is how it affects people’s lives.

I am seeing an increasing appetite from young people to hold their leaders to account and I would urge young people to not only vote, but to take those ideas, passion and imagination and learn the ways to bring about decisions that will work for them.

2. If you had to make a choice between what’s right for our country’s economy, defence, the NHS, education or the unemployment rate, what would you prioritise first and why? Nick Mason.

SB: In terms of what’s best for the economy, our hustings has always shown the more educated our nation is the better our economy is. I like to look to the present and when a party is in control of the country, you have to navigate the country through the economic and political landscape, but education is about preparing the future generation.

It’s a tough question because the choices are not always that clear cut and it is more about combining things.