With polling day for the 2024 General Election looming ever closer, Nub News is asking local candidates where they stand on key issues in Kingston & Surbiton.

These articles will be published throughout the week to help keep voters informed before they reach the ballot box on Thursday 4 July.

Today, Wednesday 26 June, we asked the candidates their thoughts on the borough's shortage of affordable housing, and how they would help locals with the cost-of-living crisis if they were elected.

Ali Abdulla – Workers Party

Affordable housing

"Post WW2-style affordable houses and council housing build up, [prioritising] designs that echo the architectural styles of the area.

"Engaging with local historians and the community ensures that new constructions respect the cultural heritage and aesthetic values."

Cost-of-living crisis

"Make sure minimum wage actually covers basic needs, affordable housing, extended child care support, and school clubs for working couple or single parent households and finally double the tax free allowance to the middle and lower working class."

A.Gent Chinners – Monster Raving Loony Party

Affordable housing

"Due to limited land space, we will solve the affordable housing market by planting more trees to build lots of houses in them…. we'll call them tree houses. 

"They will be eco-friendly [and] sustainable whilst affording the owner some of the best views of the area!"

Cost-of-living crisis

"At roughly £1 a tooth, banning the Tooth Fairy will save the average family £20…it is also not good to teach children that selling body parts is OK!"

Debojyoti Das – Greens

Affordable housing

"In our manifesto we have outlined that we will build 150,000 new social houses over the course of the next parliament and bring a sense of security to people who feel priced out in the current property market. 

"In addition we have proposed a rent commision that will bring about rent control and steer the voice of the tenants alongside those of the landlords."

Cost-of-living crisis

"To tackle the cost-of-living crisis for the poorest in our society and make the social security system fairer and less punitive, I will campaign to increase Universal Credit and legacy benefits by £40 a week, abolish the two child benefit cap, end the 'Bedroom Tax', and in the long run, introduce universal basic income to give everybody the security to start a business, study, train and live their life in dignity."

Ed Davey – Liberal Democrats

Affordable housing

"We need more affordable housing which can only be brought about by a community-led approach in places like Kingston & Surbiton, that Liberal Democrats have long-championed. The Lib Dems are building hundreds of brand new, high quality homes on the Cambridge Road Estate and at small sites across the borough."

"We need a fairer deal for mortgage holders and renters. I want to make sure renters are more secure in their homes by banning no-fault evictions, making three-year tenancies the default and by creating a national register of licensed landlords."

Cost-of-living crisis

"People in our community are falling into debt just to pay the bills. They can't afford school trips or new clothes for their kids. Far too many are going hungry. I'm working hard with local food banks and voluntary groups to help support people."

"With our plans for an emergency Home Energy Upgrade programme to cut energy bills or a National Food Strategy to tackle rising food prices, Liberal Democrats are leading the debate on the cost of living."

Helen Edward – Conservatives

Affordable housing

"I support the building of affordable first homes like my first maisonette home in Chessington.

"We are pledging to scrap stamp duty completely for first time buyers up to £425k, and deliver Help to Buy Mortgages [with] five-percent deposits, giving our younger generation the security of a roof over their head."

Cost-of-living crisis

"I will work closely with Kingston Charitable Foundation where I have been a trustee to support community groups in Kingston in need. 

"Following my previous work with City Harvest London I would support the work being done by KVA food redistribution and food banks. 

"Meanwhile I support the government's record of getting inflation back down to two-percent and growing the economy again by 0.6-percent this year, ahead of US and EU."

Mark David Fox – Reform

Affordable housing

"Cut Residential Stamp Duty to 0% below for homes £750k or less. 

"Abolish the Renters' (Reform) Bill, and restore landlords' rights to deduct finance costs and mortgage interest from tax on rental income."

Cost-of-living crisis

"Lift the income tax start point to £20,000 per year.

"Lower fuel duty by 20p per litre and scrap VAT on energy bills."

Eunice O'Dame – Labour

Affordable housing

"Britain's planning regime has hampered the ability to build necessary infrastructure and housing. Labour is committed to addressing this issue and getting Britain building again, creating jobs across England with a target of 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament."

"We will update the National Policy Planning Framework to reverse damaging Conservative changes and restore mandatory housing targets, and ensure planning authorities have up-to-date Local Plans, and strengthen the presumption in favour of sustainable development."

Cost-of-living crisis

"Too many people in Kingston are relying on food schemes [...] The scheme on the Cambridge Road estate can see up to 200 visitors in one day. This is a national scandal."

"Labour will make work pay with a New Deal for Working People. This plan will help more people stay in work, make work more family-friendly, and improve living standards, putting more money into working people's pockets."

Yvonne Tracey – Independent

Affordable housing

"Oppose private sector led overdevelopment. 

"Get the council to insist all developments provide properly affordable housing for local people to give our young people a chance to get a secure home of their own once more."

Cost-of-living crisis

"I gave my first year councillor allowance to charitable causes to help local people though the cost of living crisis. 

"I've opposed every council tax rise imposed on Kingston people since I was elected as a councillor in 2022. Sir Edward Davey's Lib Dems have maxed out tax levels and increased the number of highly paid officials at the expense of front line services."

Tomorrow, Thursday 27 June, the candidates will be discussing education and social care in Kingston-upon-Thames.

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