ELECTION GUIDE: Could Remain vote swing Oxford West & Abingdon?

Ms Blackwood won one of the smallest majorities in the UK in 2010 when she defeated the Liberal Democrats, but increased this to almost 10,000 in 2015. She is contesting the seat again this year and will take on candidates from three other parties.

The Green Party dropped out and has endorsed Liberal Democrat Layla Moran as the contest’s ‘progressive’ candidate.

Science teacher Ms Moran previously ran unsuccessfully in 2015 when the seat was seen as a marginal, but the Lib Dems will be hoping that a strong local vote for Remain in last year’s Brexit referendum could work to their favour this time round.

But Conservative Ms Blackwood, who has been a junior health minister under Theresa May since last July, has argued the constituency needs am ‘experienced and influential’ MP in the coming years.

THE CANDIDATES

Nicola Blackwood, Conservative 

IN THIS constituency every vote really does count, and I’m standing on my record as a constituency champion working hard to make our area an even better place to live, work, study and raise a family.

Since I was elected in 2010, local youth unemployment has fallen by 69 per cent, the unemployment rate stands at 0.7 per cent and more than 3,780 new apprenticeships have started.

We’ve seen record levels of investment in key areas like young people’s training and our innovative research sector, alongside roads, rail and housing infrastructure.

What we need now is the proven leadership that Theresa May can provide going into Brexit negotiations, as well as an experienced and influential MP ensuring our local voice is heard at the heart of government.

That’s why I’ll be fighting to get the best possible deal for Oxford West and Abingdon, protecting local jobs and securing economic growth, funding our world-leading universities and ensuring access to skills.

We need more affordable homes locally but only alongside the necessary infrastructure; more investment in the A34, fairer schools funding and strong flood defences, not to mention properly funded NHS services for both physical and mental health ensuring a real increase in health funding per head each year.

Layla Moran, Liberal Democrats

I’M A physics teacher and primary school governor. So it will be no surprise that my burning passion is making sure every child gets the best possible start in life.

I value evidence-based policy making, internationalism and I believe in a Britain that is open, tolerant and outward looking. Oxford West and Abingdon is especially vulnerable to Brexit.

As its MP, I would fight to safeguard the rights of European Union citizens, stay in the Single Market to protect jobs, defend the NHS and schools, and promote investment in and science and research.

A hard Brexit will be damaging on so many levels and no one knows what the final deal will look like. That’s why I believe that you should have a choice over your future through a say on the Brexit deal with the option to remain.

Two local issues I want to highlight are the closure of the children’s centres across our area and ensuring residents have a prominent voice in big local developments.

We need investment in our future and infrastructure now, not broken promises or platitudes. As your MP, I will be a local champion for our area and fight for our interests.

Marie Tidball, Labour

HAVE studied and worked in and around Oxford since 2002 and live here with my partner, Neil.

I’m a school governor and experienced community campaigner and have raised more than £54,000 to save our local children’s centre. Over the past seven years, I have researched the impact of Coalition and Conservative government policies on disabled people at Oxford University’s faculty of law.

It would be an honour and a privilege to represent the many friends and colleagues who live across the Oxford West and Abingdon constituency. From the biggest real term cuts to school funding in a generation, decimation of children’s services and the Tories’ failure to solve the social care crisis, we have witnessed the most devastating series of cuts to public services in history.

Tory austerity policies are having a grave impact across the constituency. I will be campaigning strongly against the Conservatives’ vision for a hard Brexit and threat of dropping out of Europe in 2019 without a deal. Labour’s vision prioritises jobs, the economy and retaining the benefits of the single market and customs union.

We must ensure that the rights of European Union nationals living here are guaranteed, environmental safeguards are preserved and workers’ rights are protected.

Alan Harris, UKIP

THERE is only one party going in to this general election which is committed to the Brexit people voted for last year.

That is a Brexit where the United Kingdom is back in control of its own laws, our own borders and our own money.

It is also a Brexit where we take back control over our own waters and sign free trade deals all over the world. UKIP is also the only party going in to this election with the commitment to reduce immigration and cutting the foreign aid budget that is costing the British taxpayer £30 million every day – money we could invest in our NHS.

If you believe we need more police on the beat and that our elderly need to be looked after then vote UKIP and put the ‘great’ back in Great Britain.