Andy Slaughter - in His Own Words

Andy Slaughter - Labour candidate

We asked the three main candidates for Hammersmith - Andy Slaughter for Labour, Jessie Venegas for the Lib Dems and Xingang Wang for the Conservatives - to answer a few questions about why the people of Hammersmith should give them their vote tomorrow.

So far, only Andy Slaughter has replied.

Since 2010 Andy Slaughter has steadily increased his majority and won back his seat in 2017 with a big majority - of 18,651 votes, turning Hammersmith into something of a safe seat.  Below are the questions we asked Andy Slaughter - and his answers.

General elections are usually fought on national issues; what local issues are you fighting for?

I think the national issues are the local, and you can often judge the Parties by what they say nationally compared with what they do locally.

On the NHS: we have successfully battled to stop the Conservatives demolishing Charing Cross Hospital, but their neglect over the past ten years means we now have the biggest maintenance backlog and some of the biggest deficits in the country. Access to treatment is being rationed and waiting list are longer than ever. Labour will restore the NHS as we did after 1997.

On housing: locally the Conservatives waged a war on low-cost housing when they were in power, best illustrated by the sale of 2000 people’s homes to a developer. The Labour council has just bought back the West Kensington and Gibbs Green Estates and stopped the demolition. But we actually need millions of new affordable homes to deal with the housing crisis, and Labour is promising 150,000 new social homes every year.

On crime: west London has lost a third of its police officers since the Coalition Government was elected in 2010 (the Lib Dems must share the blame for austerity). Is it any surprise that serious crime, including knife crime, is rising? Labour will restore neighbourhood policing but also support youth services – like the major new youth club being built in White City.

On poverty: H&F was a test site for Universal Credit -which may be why we have some of the busiest foodbanks in the country. Street homelessness – cut by three quarters under Labour – is 165% up since the Tories got in. These are solvable problems for a government with a will to do so – we will replace UC with a benefit that works.

On education: Hammersmith has suffered the 4th worst cuts in schools of 533 constituencies in England. That means fewer teachers, larger class sizes and no spare cash for after school and out of school activity. Restoring school budgets and making all education free including higher education are Labour’s priorities.

Even on climate change the local is important – H&F has declared a climate emergency and pledged the borough will be carbon neutral by 2030. Labour’s Green New Deal hard wires environment-friendly policies into housing, employment and transport and has been judged by Friends of the Earth to be the best of the Parties’ Green policies – better than the Green Party itself.

52% voted for Brexit - why are you campaigning for Remain?

The referendum result was close and the Leave side said a lot that was untrue or irrelevant to the issue, but Leave did win. So I oppose the Lib Dem policy of disregarding the result which is both insulting to democracy and would not resolve the issue.

But I don’t think it is unreasonable to ask the public to give a further opinion now we know so much more about what leaving involves and will have an actual deal to compare to the status quo.

I think a second vote is the best way to satisfy the greatest number of people and move on. If it is Leave again, the Remainers will have to accept it, if it is Remain in the light of an actual proposal rather than a series of slogans, I think most Leavers will accept it too.

I will campaign for Remain if we get a second vote because every analysis including the Government’s shows any form of Brexit is bad for our economy and personal prosperity - and I don’t think that is what a majority of people want.

You have had some public disagreements with the Labour leadership - are you still backing Jeremy Corbyn?

It’s true I got sacked from a front bench job I loved as shadow housing minister for voting to stay the single market which was not party policy. But that was two years ago - now the party supports close alignment with the EU whether we are in or out and a second referendum. So I am happy with Labour’s policy – I have just made it clear that if and when we get a second vote I will be campaigning for Remain.

What is the main thing you'd like to achieve in the next five years in office?

My priority will always be Hammersmith. We are lucky to have a thriving local economy and society. Major developments around Imperial in White City and HS2/Crossrail in Old Oak will bring thousands of skilled jobs and new homes to the borough. But I want the benefits of that investment to be shared with local people, particularly those from less well-off backgrounds and particularly the young.

Constituency of Hammersmith

When I visit schools I see incredibly talented young people with much to offer, but they are often living in poor standard or overcrowded accommodation and failing to access good careers. We must create the pathways to allow the next generation to succeed based on their talent and commitment. 

I want to bring together business, the public sector and residents to create opportunities available to everyone whatever their background.

Andy Slaughter
Labour party candidate for Hammersmith

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