Rochester and Strood: scorecarding the candidates

38 Degrees members in Rochester and Strood are trying to cut through the media circus in the constituency and understand what the candidates to be their MP really think about the issues that matter in the area – Maritime Medway Hospital, tax dodging, Lodge Hill.

Together, after a member meet up, a poll, and commenting on a draft document of questions, 38 Degrees members have come up with questions to put to the candidates. You can read more about the process here.

Here are the questions 38 Degrees members want the Rochester and Strood PPCs to answer:

• What’s your name?
• What party are you standing for?
• NHS: What are your plans for the NHS nationally, and in Rochester and Strood?
• NHS: Do you think the better off should pay more tax to fund the NHS?
• NHS: Will you be doing anything to reduce waiting times at Medway Maritime Hospital?
• NHS: How did you vote/would you vote on the changes in the Health and Social Care Act which mandated GPs buying services from public and private providers on behalf of their patients? For/Against
• Public services: What’s your position on increasing privatisation of public services?
• Public services: How do you plan to improve local transport, such as road quality and the cost of trains into London?
• Public services: How did you vote/would you have voted on slowing the rise in rail fares?
• For/Against
• Public services: How did you vote/would you have voted on the privatisation of the Royal Mail in the Postal Services Bill?
• For/Against
• Tax avoidance: What will you do in relation to tax avoidance?
• Tax avoidance: What would you do to tackle companies like Amazon and Vodafone avoiding tax?
• Tax avoidance: How did you vote/would you have voted on measures to reduce tax avoidance in the Finance Bill 2013?
• For/Against
• Jobs, money and community: How do you plan to increase jobs and prosperity both nationally and in Rochester and Strood?
• Jobs, money and community: What do you think about the Lodge Hill development?
• Jobs, money and community: How did you vote/would you have voted on Andrew George MPs’ Affordable Homes Bill 2014?
• For/Against
• Education: What are you plans for Britain’s education system?
• Education: What are your views on academy schools and free schools?
• Education: How did you vote/would you have voted on raising the upper limit for tuition fees to £9,000 per year in the University Tuition Fee Cap vote in 2010?
• For/Against
• TTIP: Do you support the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)?
• TTIP: Do you support the Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism within it?
• Environment: What action will you take in relation to wildlife and nature in Rochester and Strood and the Medway area?
• Environment: Do you think climate change is a problem? Do you believe in reducing fossil fuel reliance to tackle it?