We asked Worcester MP hopefuls your questions - here's their answers

We have received responses for all the candidates who responded before our deadline.

Conservative candidate Marc Bayliss, Duncan Murray from Social Democratic Party and Andrew Peplow from Reform UK did not supply answers.

This is what the Liberal Democrat candidate Mel Allcott had to say

Mel Allcott (Image: Mel Allcott)

How are you going to make the Worcester food bank unnecessary?

It’s a sad fact that food banks are even needed in Worcester. But with the cost-of-living crisis putting more pressure on families than ever, they have been a lifeline to many; even for those in work.

I believe we can phase out their need by tackling rising food prices through a National Food Strategy. Plus putting more money into household pockets, providing long-term help with the cost of living, cutting energy bills and getting mortgage rates under control.

By empowering families, we can hopefully see an end to the need for food banks.

Are you going to scrap PIP or replace PIP payments with vouchers?

The Liberal Democrats have no plans to scrap Personal Independence Payments or to replace them with vouchers.

We do intend to reform PIP assessments to make the process more transparent. We also want to stop unnecessary reassessments and end the use of informal assessments.

The Lib Dems want to give disabled people a stronger voice in the design of benefits policies and processes and bring Work Capability Assessments in-house.

What are you going to do to acknowledge the WASPI women?

The Liberal Democrats have been calling on the government to confirm compensation payouts for these courageous women, who have tirelessly campaigned for justice after being left out of pocket by the Tories.

We have pledged to ensure that women born in the 1950s are finally treated fairly and properly compensated and I agree with Wendy Chamberlain MP when she said that WASPI women “deserve our admiration for their persistence.”

Liberal Democrats have long supported WASPI and it is now up to the next government to come forward with a plan to get these women the compensation they are owed.

What percentage of Worcestershire’s green belt, countryside, natural wildlife habitats will be protected from development? Will any areas be ‘ring fenced’ from building applications and as there are housing targets, what is the ‘ceiling’ figure for housing development (when we say there’s no more room) to protect green spaces for future generations?

Protecting our environment lies at the heart of the Liberal Democrat approach. Everyone should be able to enjoy open green spaces and clean rivers free from sewage.

We have pledged to build 380,000 houses a year across the UK, including 150,000 social homes, but not at the expense of the environment.

We want to significantly increase the amount of accessible green space (including protecting up to a million acres across the UK) and exploring a ‘right to roam’ for waterways.

We intend to protect at least 30% of land and sea areas in the UK by 2030 for nature’s recovery.

Do you intend to support the night-time economy by funding bus services beyond 6pm?

Lib Dems are intent on supporting rural bus services and encouraging alternatives to conventional bus services where they are not viable - such as on-demand services.

We want to replace multiple funding streams with one integrated fund for local authorities so that bus services can expand and operate better, for longer and when needed - including in the evenings.

We also want to extend current programmes to encourage local authorities and bus operators to switch entirely to zero-emission buses and give authorities the powers they need to restore bus routes and add new ones where there is local need.

This is what Labour's Tom Collins had to say

Tom Collins (Image: Submitted)

How are you going to make the Worcester food bank unnecessary?

Nobody in our country should find themselves having to rely on a foodbank, we simply shouldn’t need one.

Labour will start by introducing free breakfast clubs in every primary school. Crucially, we’ll give people security, by ending fire-and-rehire and exploitative zero-hour contracts, and by protecting renters from no-fault eviction.

We will increase the minimum wage to a genuine living wage, removing unfair age bands.

And we will tackle the cost of living with a huge increase in social and affordable housebuilding, minimum energy efficiency standards for privately rented homes and investment in home-grown green energy.

Labour will put people first.

Are you going to scrap PIP or replace PIP payments with vouchers?

No. Labour will reform PIP and the wider welfare system to ensure disabled people can live independent and fulfilling lives, backed by proper support to work for those who can.

We will champion the rights of disabled people, including the right to work, and ensure the views and voices of disabled people are at the heart of our plans for reform.

And we’ll tackle the root causes meaning so many people are locked out of work, by bringing down NHS waiting lists, reforming social security, making work pay, and supporting people into good jobs across every part of the country.

What are you going to do to acknowledge the WASPI women?

People are rightly angry about this. When the Conservatives announced their plan to accelerate increases in the state pension age, Labour urged them to rethink and to introduce fair transitional arrangements protecting women born in the 1950s. They went ahead with only minor concessions.

The Ombudsman report is serious, and despite having had months and promising to update Parliament, the Government has not.

Only the Government has access to the appropriate level of detail and engagement with the Ombudsman to respond to the report. If elected, we’ll pick up the engagement, listening to women affected and ensuring lessons are learnt.

What percentage of Worcestershire’s green belt, countryside, natural wildlife habitats will be protected from development? Will any areas be ‘ring fenced’ from building applications and as there are housing targets, what is the ‘ceiling’ figure for housing development (when we say there’s no more room) to protect green spaces for future generations?

Labour will get Britain building again, to put the dream of homeownership back within reach, with 1.5 million new homes built over the next parliament.

We’ll take a brownfield first approach, prioritising the development of previously used land wherever possible and fast-tracking approval of urban brownfield sites.

Under the Conservatives, greenbelt land is released haphazardly and often for speculative housebuilding. We’re committed to preserving the green belt and will take a more strategic approach. We will prioritise the release of lower quality ‘grey belt’ land, and we will introduce new ‘golden rules’ to ensure development benefits both communities and nature.

Do you intend to support the night-time economy by funding bus services beyond 6pm?

This is a topic I’ve been campaigning on for some time. Under the Conservatives, our local routes and services have been slashed. Our lack of evening buses in Worcester is holding families and our city centre economy back. If you can’t rely on the bus to get you home, you can’t rely on it at all.

Labour will reform the system, giving new powers to local leaders to franchise bus services, and lifting the ban on municipal ownership. Worcester will have the chance to take more control of its buses, and I’ll do all I can to get them back.

This is what Mark Davies of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition had to say

Mark Davies (Image: Contributed)

How are you going to make the Worcester food bank unnecessary?

Food bank use has been on a long-term rise. Many users come from households where at least one person is in work.  People should be able to afford to feed their families. We need an immediate increase in the minimum wage to £15 an hour, without exemptions, and for it then to automatically rise in line with inflation or wages, whichever is higher.

We need a decent pay rise for NHS workers and other public sector workers, and an end to zero-hour contracts. We need to fight for pay rises that keep up with the cost of living.

Are you going to scrap PIP or replace PIP payments with vouchers?

The current government promised more ‘rigorous’ decisions about who gets Personal Independence Payments. Even now people are being unjustly denied support.   

Those who can get PIP will find it doesn’t cover the rising cost of living.

We call for replacing Universal Credit and the punitive benefit system with living benefits for all who need them, and for a massive expansion of public services to meet need.

What are you going to do to acknowledge the WASPI women?

When the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman produced his second report, Women Against State Pension Inequality and other campaigners finally had a victory.

However, the DWP has said all along that it would not pay. 

All candidates are rightly under pressure from campaigners and pensioners to pay compensation. Both the Tories and Labour are saying that ‘they will look closely at the report’. Only continued pressure will get compensation. Even if compensation is paid, many women have died and will die before getting it.

We have to fight together for a state pension that can be lived on with dignity.

What percentage of Worcestershire’s green belt, countryside, natural wildlife habitats will be protected from development? Will any areas be ‘ring fenced’ from building applications and as there are housing targets, what is the ‘ceiling’ figure for housing development (when we say there’s no more room) to protect green spaces for future generations?

The green belt should certainly be protected for future generations.  But most of the green belt has no open access, only allowing us access to designated paths. We need to re-establish the demand that the land belongs to the people and should be returned to us.

Housing also needs addressing. When housing is seen as a source of profit first, and somewhere to live second, then if it’s seen as cheaper to build on green belt it will be sacrificed.  We call for a mass council house building programme to end homelessness, and provide genuinely affordable homes for all.

Do you intend to support the night-time economy by funding bus services beyond 6pm?

Privatised bus services, whoever run them, come with major issues.  Costs are rising, quality of service is impacted.  When the priority is profit, the service for users is sacrificed.

TUSC calls for the re-nationalisation of all rail, bus and ferry services to build an integrated, low-pollution public transport system, providing low cost travel for all.   As a Socialist Party member I call for more: The country has more billionaires than ever, why not take that wealth and put it to good use by fully funding a free, high-quality public transport system in the interests of people and the planet?

This is what the Green Party's Tor Pingree had to say

Tor Pingree (Image: Contributed)

How are you going to make the Worcester food bank unnecessary?

While the work that the team at Worcester Foodbank do is incredible, no one should have to use a foodbank to get by.

In recent years we have seen rampant inflation, so the cost of basics like food, heating and rent have gone up massively. Inflation has now dropped to around two percent but that does not mean the prices will go down, only rise at a slower rate.

More and more we are seeing people who are regularly having to visit the foodbank to make ends meet before pay day. The Green Party would like to end this with common sense measures, like raising the minimum wage to £15 per hour and to increase Universal Credit payments by £40 per week. These are just some of the many measures set out in our manifesto to ease the cost of living crisis that we are now in. 

Are you going to scrap PIP or replace PIP payments with vouchers?

We need to end the unfair targeting of carers and disabled people on benefits. The Green Party opposes plans to replace Personal Independence Payments (PIP) cash payments with ‘vouchers’, and in the long term we aim to reform intrusive eligibility tests like PIP. 

What are you going to do to acknowledge the WASPI women?

In 1995 the Conservative government raised the retirement age for women to 65, bringing in line with the men's retirement age at the time. This policy was not given enough consideration and the women who were affected have said they were not given appropriate notification.

Some women were not aware that they would have to work for longer and therefore were not able to prepare financially. It is so important that we listen to these women and that they receive appropriate and fast compensation. This should be a priority for any incoming UK government.  

What percentage of Worcestershire’s green belt, countryside, natural wildlife habitats will be protected from development? Will any areas be ‘ring fenced’ from building applications and as there are housing targets, what is the ‘ceiling’ figure for housing development (when we say there’s no more room) to protect green spaces for future generations?

Recently research has shown that in the UK flying insects have declined by 60 percent in the past 20 years. Green spaces that promote biodiversity are incredibly important for insects and our food security.

If elected, I would aim to strengthen and prevent any rollback of existing protection on the Green Belt. When looking at housing we would prioritise brownfield land, which makes up around 8.7 percent of the UK and give local authorities more power to utilise empty residential and industrial properties. 

Do you intend to support the night-time economy by funding bus services beyond 6pm?

Research shows that for every £1 we invest in buses, we generate around £4.50 for the UK economy. They are essential in Worcester, not just to get people where they need to go but to also reduce the overall amount of traffic on the road, decreasing congestion and air pollution.

Across the UK we will invest £10bn in bus services and allow local authorities to control bus services like they do in London, ensuring bus services align with city policies to support the night time economy, and ensure they are reliable, frequent and provide what residents need, not simply what makes the most profits for the bus companies.