General Election: South Leicestershire election candidates appeal for your vote

General Election candidates in South Leicestershire have set out why they believe they deserve your vote on Thursday, July 4.General Election candidates in South Leicestershire have set out why they believe they deserve your vote on Thursday, July 4.
General Election candidates in South Leicestershire have set out why they believe they deserve your vote on Thursday, July 4.
General Election candidates in South Leicestershire have set out why they believe they deserve your vote on Thursday, July 4.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) invited the candidates to tell you what they wanted you to know about them when you went to the polling booths.

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Standing in South Leicestershire are Alberto Costa, for the Conservatives, Paul Hartshorn, for the Liberal Democrats, Mike Jelfs, for the Green Party, Robert Parkinson, for the Labour Party, and Bill Piper, for Reform UK.

Alberto Costa is the previous holder of the seat in the constituency, and is standing for the conservatives this time. He was first elected Conservative MP for South Leicestershire in 2015.

South Leicestershire is looking likely to lean towards the Conservatives. 2019 winner Alberto Costa would maintain his seat if the YouGov poll is correct. He is anticipated to win 41 per cent of the vote, with Labour coming second with 33 per cent.

Find out what your candidates have to say below.

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Labour candidate Robert Parkinson

“I’m delighted to be Labour’s candidate for South Leicestershire, the seat where I grew up, where I went to school, and where I started my career in public services.

“Breaking down the barriers to opportunity across South Leicestershire is my priority. I benefitted from the apprenticeship system and recently went back to my old school (Lutterworth College) to deliver a careers evening on the value of apprenticeships. And I’ve been a longstanding volunteer with the Scouting movement, including serving as Chair of South Leicestershire Scouts.

“Alongside my day job is as a Transport and Commissioning Project Manager at Leicester City Council, I am a trustee of Hinckley Museum and a workplace rep for UNISON – because making sure people have the opportunities they deserve doesn’t stop when people enter the workplace.

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“I’m standing for parliament because our area has been let down by 14 years of Conservative government. The place where I grew up feels left behind. I’ve heard a lot about the drop in footfall on the high street in Lutterworth, Blaby and lots of other villages from local business owners.

“When I drive around, I see our roads filled with potholes. Locals have shared their concerns about rivers and streams like the Swift and Sence filled with sewage. Labour has a plan to get the country back on its feet. It is time for change in the villages and towns of South Leicestershire. That means voting for change, and voting for a Labour government.”

Liberal Democrat candidate Paul Hartshorn

“I am standing for parliament because I want to do politics differently.

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“For years I watched Conservative politicians, with no connection to our communities, parachute into South Leicestershire to secure a “safe” seat. At the same time I saw that Leicestershire County Council was the worst funded in England, Leicestershire Police the worst funded police force and our schools were facing financial challenges that threatened the quality of education our children receive.

“As someone who was born in Wigston, and has lived in the Constituency for 30 years my priority will be to speak out on the issues that matter to constituents, not chasing a political career. It will be about looking for solutions to the problems we face here and raising them in Parliament as well as promoting our communities as great places to live and work.

“As your MP I will prioritise the fight for fair funding of our services here in Leicestershire, tough action on water companies to prevent the 1000s of sewage spills into the Rivers, Soar, Swift and Sence and the Lib Dems fantastic programme to boost the NHS and care services.

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“I would be a high profile local MP speaking up for residents and listening to their concerns. Looking after the area I have lived all my life, would be an honour not just a step on the political ladder. I hope you can support me and deliver real change that constituents will see and experience.”

Green Party candidate Mike Jelfs

“Mike was born and brought up in Cosby and now lives in Whetstone with his wife, Zoe, their daughter, a midwife who works in the NHS, and their nine-year-old rescue dog, Alfie.

“Mike has spent the last 30 years working in the retail sector as a Solutions Architect working in the UK, USA and China, which afforded him the opportunity to see first-hand the impact of the climate crisis and pollution all over the world. It was this that inspired him to become politically active and use his experience to challenge perceptions about what can be changed and how quickly.

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“Mike participates in promoting Active Travel and the improvement of public transport. He campaigns for the development of infrastructure to promote safe cycling and walking, improved rural bus services and the reopening of closed railways stations across South Leicestershire.

“If elected, Mike would also advocate for greater investment in South Leicestershire, which is chronically underfunded, the result of which has been the loss of some services and has put others under severe threat. He is also passionate about sustainable development and the importance of engaging communities in planning for their community. He believes in the need to retain our green spaces in order to promote biodiversity, reduce air pollution, protect against flooding and develop environments in which we can bring our families up to be happy and healthy.”

Also standing in the constituency are Alberto Costa, for the Conservative Party, and Bill Piper, for Reform UK. The LDRS did not receive a statement from either of them by the publication deadline.