Sandyford and Goldenhill

“One of the issue’s we’re seeing on the doorstep is making sure we see the job completed on Europe. Brexit will offer opportunities for Stoke-on-Trent North, particularly around reducing energy costs and opening up markets for our ceramic producers.

“I’m really interested in the Conservatives’ plans for T-levels, for which I think there will be a lot of demand locally. People will have the opportunity to learn technical skills in state-of-the-art colleges, with curriculums designed in partnership with employers.

“I think there’s been a big change from just two years ago, when the main concern was creating more jobs. Now I think people are concerned about the nature of employment. Post-Brexit we want to encourage our employers to invest in local talent.”

Doug Rouxel – GREEN

“I think the key issues in this election are the NHS, the environment, education and employment. In terms of education, the Conservative plan for school funding would see schools across the constituency lose up to half-a-million pounds, which will mean losing teachers. Our local area needs a quality education system that can deliver for our young people.

“In terms of environment, I believe that we need to do more to improve our green spaces in Stoke-on-Trent, which is badly served by green spaces at the moment.

“On employment, I think it’s important we get a good Brexit deal for our ceramic industry. If we can’t trade with Europe, we’re not going to be able to compete on price with the rest of the world.”

Ruth Smeeth – LABOUR

“I’m standing on my record as MP for Stoke-on-Trent North over the last two years. I have brought investment to our constituency and fought for our community, and I want to continue that work. Since being elected I have had 7,500 pieces of casework and attended 80 surgeries.

“Going forward, I want to fight to make sure Brexit works for us. It’s not just about making Brexit happen – of course it’s going to happen – I want to make it matter for us here in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire.

“Over the summer I’ll be continuing my work tackling holiday hunger. I’ll be working with groups to provide 10,000 meals to children in the constituency. This is about getting real tangible results for the people here.

Richard Whelan – LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

“Social care is a really big issue, particularly with what the Tories are proposing. We are of the view that care costs should be capped and that people’s homes should not be taken into account when calculating what they should pay. But care should be properly funded, which we would do by putting an extra 1p on income tax.

“On the issue of Brexit, this isn’t about whether or not we leave the EU – that was what last year’s referendum was about. But this is about how we leave the EU. If we leave the Single Market and the customers union, companies may leave to go where it is easier to do business. Nobody in Stoke-on-Trent voted to lose their jobs.”

Tom Simpson, Secretary of Sandyford and Goldenhill Residents’ Association said, “I think regeneration is a big issue in our area; this is something that we’ve been very interested in at the residents’ association. Tom went onto say, S.A.G.E. invited Network Space to come and give a talk, and we told them that we want good jobs in Stoke on Trent, not just warehouses and call centres.