North West Hampshire questioned ahead of general election

We asked each one the same questions which addressed child safety, youth clubs, sports provisions, and what they would do on day one. 

Thousands of residents will head to the polls on July 4 to elect a new MP.

The seat was previously held by Conservative, Kit Malthouse who was first elected as MP for the constituency in May 2015. It has been Conservative since the constituency was formed in 1983.

Kit Malthouse is standing as a conservative to be elected as MP again. Also standing for election: Andy Fitchet (Labour), Luigi Gregori (Liberal Democrats), Phil Heath (Hampshire Independents), Andrew Meacham (Reform UK), and Hina West (Green Party).

Andy Fitchet - Labour

Andy Fitchet (Image: Labour Party)

What would you and your party do to protect children online? 

Protecting children and young people online is an incredibly important task. We will revisit the Online Safety Bill to make sure it is flexible enough to respond to changing online habits whilst also protecting the ability for young people to use social media for its true purpose. We cannot pretend we can put the genie of social media back in the bottle, but we can work with the social media giants to remove harmful content quicker and provide better guidance for parents.

A recent study has shown that almost 2,000 children's centres have closed down in the UK since 2010. What facilities would you like to open in this constituency, and how would you fund them? 

As a former youth worker across NW Hampshire, I know the immense value of youth centres and open-access youth provision. I used to run youth groups with over 200 young people in attendance over a year, which brought down antisocial behaviour by 50%! Labour want to create a new generation of youth hubs, with specialist mental health workers on hand, to help young people in the same way my generation were helped with the youth work we received. We will fund this by withdrawing the VAT and business rates exemption on private schools.

Other facilities, like sports pitches and swimming pools have also been in decline since 2010 - what could be done locally to encourage the next generation of Olympians and future Euros stars? 

When Andover was faced with a decision from the Conservative Council to close our pool for two years, I fought back and I won. Bringing user groups and councillors together, utilising the media we secured the temporary pool so we weren’t left high and dry whilst the new Leisure Centre was built. Young people playing sport is a passion of mine and we in Government will invest in sports provision so that all young people have the opportunity to succeed and barriers are broken down at every level. 

Which unique feature is this area's greatest unsung asset? And how would you use it to improve the local economy? 

In Andover, our town centre has the potential to become a thriving hub for the future. We need a mix of residential, independent businesses, restaurants and community spaces to bring people back into the town. Town Centres are changing and we need to adapt to changing patterns of shopping and leisure time. As our MP, I would work with the Local Government Department to secure the funding we need to make the Masterplan a reality. We will also replace business rates so small businesses can thrive again. Of equal importance across our constituency are our chalk streams. Currently, they are being abused by the water companies and yet they are of global significance. There are only 200 chalk streams in the world and a number flow through NW Hampshire. People visit from all over the world to fish in our streams. Labour will bring criminal charges against the water bosses if they continue to pollute our waterways. The rivers are one of our biggest assets and we need to protect them. 

If elected, what local change will you make on day 1? 

I will be here. As our MP the biggest change I will bring immediately is I will work tirelessly for you and work with you. I won’t be an invisible MP but a local, committed and visible MP for all our communities and residents. 

Luigi Gregori - Libera Democrats 

Luigi Gregori

What would you and your party do to protect children online?

The Liberal Democrats' stance is to protect and support the rights and well-being of every child by incorporating the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into UK law, and setting up an independent advocacy body for children’s safety online.

To start addressing online protection for children, I would support the Introduction of a Digital Bill of Rights to protect everyone’s rights online, including the rights to privacy, free expression, and participation without being subjected to harassment and abuse.

The social media companies should be required to publish reports setting out the action they have taken to address online abuse against children, and other groups who have a protected characteristics. Social media companies need to accept responsibility and act accordingly. We would increase the Digital Services Tax on social media firms and other tech giants from 2% to 6% to fund our work in this area.

The other major issue which arises in this space is the impact on mental health. Children should not be able to access age-related content or pass themselves off as adults online. We want to open walk-in hubs for children and young people in every community and put a dedicated, qualified mental health professional in every school. It is important to give young people the opportunity to talk about what may be making them anxious and having trained professionals available would aid the safeguarding of young people in these situations. Often their mental state and the chance of suicide, due to negative online activities, go unnoticed until it is too late.

A recent study has shown that almost 2,000 children's centres have closed down in the UK since 2010. What facilities would you like to open in this constituency, and how would you fund them?

Children’s centres have generally in the past been funded by the county council, but cuts in central government grants and failures in instituting a proper fiscal policy by the Conservative council has led to massive cuts.

My personal view is that we have to build on the few charities that are still left standing such as ACE in Andover, Yellow Brick Road, Tadley Community Centre, and Spring Meadow Children’s Centre. Libraries have also an important role to play, as well as nurseries. I would make it a priority to meet with these organisations for their first-hand knowledge and expertise to achieve a better understanding of improvements needed to existing facilities and what they think is missing.

We should also be considering young families and I have been disappointed by the demise of such projects as Sure Start. Every child deserves the best possible start in life and the opportunity to flourish. Protecting their rights and wellbeing as children and ensuring they are properly nourished are top priorities, and this is best achieved through their families and communities. Early Years education is the best possible investment we can make in the future.

Our priorities to increase this investment will be: tripling the Early Years Pupil Premium to £1,000 per year, boosting the number of childminders, and developing a career strategy for childcare staff.

Our children are our future, and to be able to carry out our investments, we will make the tax system fairer: reversing Conservative tax cuts for the big banks, increasing the Digital Services Tax on social media firms and other tech giants from 2% to 6%, reforming capital gains tax to close loopholes exploited by the super wealthy, and introducing a 4% tax on the share buyback schemes of FTSE-100 listed companies.

Other facilities, like sports pitches and swimming pools have also been in decline since 2010 - what could be done locally to encourage the next generation of Olympians and future Euros stars?

The provision of facilities is key to this, and the decline has mirrored the lack of investment by local and national authorities. However, I believe that expanding provision of extracurricular activities within schools, such as sport and hobbies, where possible, is the way forward. We need to protect sports and arts funding via the National Lottery, ensuring investment in leisure centres, swimming pools and other grassroots facilities, as well as supporting school and community sports clubs. The Liberal Democrats want to decentralise government to enable local people and local councils to have a greater say on local facility decisions. I will campaign hard for this.

Which unique feature is this area's greatest unsung asset? And how would you use it to improve the local economy?

The greatest unsung asset is the people who live here. Many of these unsung heroes are willing to start their own small businesses, contribute to community groups, and support one another. All these people need to be encouraged and supported, helping to make NWHants a place to thrive and where people want to live and work, contributing to a stronger local economy. Tourism offers a particular aspect which should be developed. We have significant attractions such as the Whitchurch Silk Mill, the Andover Iron-Age Museum, the Bombay Sapphire Distillery and beautiful scenery which can be accessed by some excellent local walks. Local businesses such as pubs, restaurants, shops and hotels would benefit from the rise in tourist and visitor numbers as well as providing the framework for a growing tourist industry showcasing NWHants and its residents.

If elected, what local change will you make on day 1?

Make myself available and improve communication to all constituents and listen to all their concerns from Day 1. As an MP, it would be my duty to represent all residents of NWHants, which can only be done by being involved throughout the community as Sir George Young did, who was a great constituency MP regardless of political party.

Kit Malthouse - Conservative 

Kit Malthouse What would you and your party do to protect children online? 

We introduced the landmark Online Safety Act, which has been hailed the most powerful child protection laws in a generation. It provides much better protection for children while ensuring free speech is protected. It will hold social media companies to account for their impact on young people. We are also prohibiting the use of mobile phones in schools, including during break, to allow pupils to concentrate on learning, and their live social world. I would like to see a wholesale revamp of the laws concerning the protection of children, and I will be campaigning for a new Childrens’ Act to update our laws to reflect the very different challenges kids face in childhood today.  Some years ago I was asked by the NSPCC to be part of an experienced panel looking at these issues and I’m pleased that many of our discussions then are now reflected in legislation. 

A recent study has shown that almost 2,000 children's centres have closed down in the UK since 2010. What facilities would you like to open in this constituency, and how would you fund them?

Since 2021, we have been rolling out Family Hubs and Start For Life centres designed to support parents and children, particularly in the critical early years and I have asked for one to open in Andover. £300 million has been spent so far and there are 400 centres now up and running. At the core of family hubs is a Start for Life offer for babies.  This focus is in response to the strong evidence that the 1,001 critical days from conception to the age of two set the foundations for an individual’s cognitive, emotional and physical development. 

Other facilities, like sports pitches and swimming pools have also been in decline since 2010 - what could be done locally to encourage the next generation of Olympians and future Euros stars?

We have been very lucky in North West Hampshire that our sports facilities have been improved and expanded over the last few years. A new Leisure Centre and pool in Andover is the centrepiece of an excellent set of opportunities for sport, including Charlton Sports Centre, which is seeing a good level of investment by TVBC. In addition I am supporting a group of residents in their efforts to bring the school swimming pool in Whitchurch into use for the whole town, and I was delighted to support Lordship Swimming Club in Overton in their successful bit to win over £800,000 to refurbish the community pool in the village. There have been lots of other valuable local investments, including a revamp of the tennis courts in Vigo Park and thousands awarded to Whitchurch United for an upgrade of their facilities. 

Which unique feature is this area's greatest unsung asset? And how would you use it to improve the local economy?

We have so many thriving companies to be proud of in this constituency, and our local economy is doing exceptionally well with very high levels of employment. Alongside this, I do think our unique and beautiful landscape is a huge asset and could attract more tourists to the area, using our pubs, restaurants and hotels. Much of North West Hampshire is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and I’m campaigning to have it upgraded to a National Park to provide maximum protection. Greater awareness of how remarkable our countryside is, alongside the new theatre in Andover, paid for with an £18.3-million grant from the Levelling Up fund, which I helped win, will give us the potential to become a destination for more tourism, which would be a big boost. 

If elected, what local change will you make on day 1?

If I could, I would get my sledgehammer out and start the demolition of the Chantry Centre, so that the regeneration of the town can be accelerated. TVBC have now appointed architects to the project and building work will I hope start soon, but I would love to give it a head start! The prosperity and future of Andover means we need a thriving town centre, and I’m very proud that after two years of work, I won a massive grant of £18.3 million to get the project going. Over the next few years, we are going to see enormous improvements and a reinvigoration of the town. 

Hina West - Green Party

Hina West (Image: Green Party)

What would you and your party do to protect children online? 

The Green Party believes we should cherish and support the wellsprings of creativity and wellbeing, and that the media sector urgently needs to be reformed. Elected Greens will push for effective regulation of both traditional and social media, safeguarding our democracy and the spaces for shared cultural expression, and in effect vulnerable users, such as children. They will also protect local media to support local democracy.

Elected Greens will introduce a Digital Bill of Rights that establishes the UK as a leading voice on standards for the rule of law and democracy in digital spaces. Establishing the UK as a leading voice on standards for the rule of law and democracy in digital spaces with a Digital Bill of Rights to ensure independent regulation of social media providers, increasing greater protection for users, especially children.

This legislation will also safeguard elections by responding to the challenges of foreign interference, social media and declining confidence in democracy. The Digital Bill of Rights will give the public greater control over their data, ensuring UK data protection is as strong as any other regulatory regime. Given the complexity of this legislation, elected Greens will push for the Bill to be developed through a broad and inclusive public conversation

A recent study has shown that almost 2,000 children's centres have closed down in the UK since 2010. What facilities would you like to open in this constituency, and how would you fund them?

Art, sport and culture are important anchors of well-being in communities, and drivers of regeneration and sustainability. Local authorities need to be given the tools to ensure that grassroots participation in art, sport and culture is accessible and thriving. To support local culture and sport, elected Greens will campaign to:

• Invest an extra £5bn over 5 years for local government spending on arts and culture to fund keeping community assets like local museums, theatres, libraries, art galleries and children’s centres open and thriving.
• Protect the night-time economy through a review of planning regulations and giving local authorities the powers to ensure there is space for cultural life.
• Protect school playing fields from development through rigorous planning controls.
•  Allow access to school sports facilities by local clubs and teams outside teaching hours to ensure maximum use of a valuable resource.
• Enable local authorities to maintain key sporting infrastructure including pools and playing fields. These need to be used across all sections of the community to ensure sport is inclusive

Other facilities, like sports pitches and swimming pools have also been in decline since 2010 - what could be done locally to encourage the next generation of Olympians and future Euros stars?

Case study: I am actively supporting the local Whitchurch community efforts to reinstate its community pool as it is a valuable for us all.

Which unique feature is this area's greatest unsung asset? And how would you use it to improve the local economy?

The people. North West Hampshire is full of talented and passionate people who want to make the world a better place but the current infrastructure and investment is not distributed in the right places in the right way, and is only benefitting the few and not the many. We need to support local businesses to build back better and stronger, local artists, future athletes, young farmers, make sure there is adequate childcare in place to ensure nurses can work full time if they so wish, stop everyday working people from having to use the local food banks, invest in green jobs....the potential is huge

If elected, what local change will you make on day 1?

Ensuring the voices from the hidden ‘poverty pockets’ of the constituency are heard and listened to before any further funding decisions are made. For example, was the levelling up funding in Andover to build the new theatre and leisure centre really the best use of that funding from a local community perspective? With 30,000 families on the Test Valley council housing waiting list in 2022 it doesn’t seem to be. The Greens have a fundamentally different definition of what it means to ‘level up’; first and foremost, focusing on repairing injustice and inequality for those barely surviving, let alone thriving.

Phil Heath and Andrew Meacham were both contacted to take part but they did not reply.