MY PLAN TO DELIVER
FOR ORPINGTON
It is my honour and privilege to have been selected to be the Conservative candidate for Orpington in this election. If you elect me as your Member of Parliament, I will be a strong voice for Orpington in Parliament, and I will deliver on your priorities. As your MP I will:
Protect our green spaces
A recent report from planning inspectors is calling for a wholesale review of the green belt, and I will vigorously resist it. Orpington is semi-rural, and any attempt to change green belt designations could have terrible consequences for our local environment.
Improve our rail service
I will press Southeastern for improved services for rail users, especially peak time users. Hard-working commuters deserve a reliable and efficient service, and improvements can be made to journeys into and out of the constituency.
More police on the streets
I will press the Metropolitan Police to ensure that Orpington receives its fair share of the 20,000 extra police officers that the Conservatives will provide in government, particularly to re-create the town centre team and strengthen community policing.
Protect Orpington's unique character
Parts of the constituency such as Petts Wood have areas of designated special residential character, but have suffered from erratic decision making at the hands of the unaccountable Planning Inspectorate. I will lobby the Minister to ensure that inspectors are more consistent.
Boost high-speed broadband
Connectivity in Orpington is inconsistent, with areas like Downe and Farnborough village suffering from woeful access. With more than 350 businesses located in Orpington, we need to ensure greater access to high-speed broadband for residents and businesses.
More funding for our NHS & Schools
The Conservatives have delivered £394 million more a week for our NHS. We are building 40 brand new hospitals across the country, and local hospitals now have 936 more doctors and 2,051 nurses than in 2010. The new Orpington Health and Wellbeing Centre is especially welcome, enabling more patients to avoid having to go to a hospital for routine treatment.
We are fortunate to have some of the best schools in the country. The extra funding the government is providing is especially welcome: our children deserve nothing less than the best.
Fight for a better bus service
Bus services provided by Transport for London and other operators are vital, particularly in areas not serviced by railways such as Biggin Hill and Downe. Services can sometimes be infrequent and inconsistent, and I will press operators to improve performance.
Support local businesses
We must maintain a strong economy that reduces taxes, creates more secure jobs, increases wages, and funds public services. Orpington has growing commercial potential, with a vibrant and growing shopping centre in the Cray corridor, continued investment in Orpington High Street with a new cinema, and exciting emerging opportunities for the modernisation of the Walnuts centre. I will support our local businesses to help bring new, better-paid jobs to the areas.
LET'S GET BREXIT DONE
On 23 June 2016, Orpington, and the rest of the country voted decisively to leave the European Union. In the past three years, Parliament has used every trick in the book to ignore that referendum. This election is our opportunity to elect a new Parliament that will get Brexit done. Only by electing a Conservative majority government can we stop the dither and delay. As your MP, I will back Boris' deal and vote to leave the EU so we can finally move on as a country.
Conservative candidate for Orpington Gareth Bacon and Prime Minister Boris Johnson.