I am delighted to have been selected as your Labour candidate for the next general election. I am immensely proud to be your local candidate as I have always hoped that our constituency would one day be represented in parliament by someone who has grown up, lived and worked here and has a strong understanding of what it means to live in Stevenage and the surrounding villages of Aston, Codicote, Datchworth and Knebworth.
It has been a privilege to stand up for Stevenage and work for our future for more than twelve years as a local Councillor and more recently as leader of Stevenage Borough Council. Over this time the area has benefited significantly from the investment the Labour government and Stevenage Labour council has made locally:
- Investing in new jobs, like the 1,500 at our new Bio Science Park on the Glaxo site and the substantial development at the Business Technology Centre to provide more support for new businesses
- Investing in our health with an expanded maternity unit, a new surgical-centre and much needed additional parking, all of which is already under construction at the Lister, and there are plans for single sex wards, improved cancer treatment and more beds
- Investing in our children’s futures with a Children’s Centre in every neighbourhood, providing support for families and their very young children
- Investing in our town centre, which will be transformed with a half billion pound regeneration scheme, including a department store
- Investing in education by refurbishing and rebuilding every secondary school in Stevenage over the next five years together with building a brand new school in Great Ashby
- Investing in housing, so that more affordable homes have been built in Stevenage than anywhere else in the East of England
- Investing in neighbourhood policing, ensuring every area in Stevenage has a local team of officers
- Investing in older people, providing a free national bus pass, winter fuel payments and introducing free social care
We need to continue to build on this progress. At the next General Election you will have a real choice between a local Labour MP committed to doing so or a Conservative MP who chooses not to live here and cannot possibly understand the issues facing local people like you and I.
As your MP my focus would be on improving life for everyone by:
- bringing in more jobs, especially in science, engineering and green technologies
- fighting for better opportunities for our young people
- pressing for more affordable homes for local residents
- campaigning to maintain local services, like Post Offices and doctors’ surgeries in our villages
- pushing for improved access to healthcare and preventative healthcare for all
- securing strong, accountable neighbourhood policing
- listening to peoples concerns about immigration and ensuring that Labour policies address those concerns by securing our borders and ensuring a fair immigration system
- making Stevenage a leader in reducing carbon emissions, ensuring that we protect the environment for future generations
By voting for me, you will be putting your trust in me. In asking for your vote, I want you to know what I will do as your MP. I will shortly be publishing my contract with Stevenage. Once the first draft is ready I’ll be asking everyone to read it carefully and contact me with any suggestions or comments.
Best wishes
Sharon Taylor
