VOTE 2015: South Dorset Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Howard Legg: 'I’m certain the NHS should be free at the point of delivery and that it must be adequate. The NHS should be a good, accountable and free service available to all.'

We will be asking all the candidates in South and West Dorset about the issues that matter to voters in the county and trying to give the electorate an insight into their priorities before they go to the ballot box on Thursday, May 7.

Today we hear from South Dorset Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate Howard Legg.

You can also watch a video of our interview with Mr Legg at dorsetecho.co.uk

How do you propose to make the voice of Dorset people heard in Parliament?

One of the criticisms I’ve had in the past of some people is they do not stand up and be heard. People need to do that, not just verbally, but in written communication, sending letters and emails to the right people.

South Dorset has certain needs that have to be addressed and if I was to win the election I would ensure these needs are seen.

Is enough being done at a national government level to support rural economies like Dorset?

No, I don’t believe enough is being done in the south west, which affectsWeymouth, Portland and Purbeck.

The main problem is house prices are too high and people are paid too little. It’s not unique, but it is particularly relevant here and we do suffer from that.

We have some of the most depressed areas in the country, and one of my main aims is to not necessarily create more jobs but to create different and varied well-paid jobs to bridge the gap.

We also need more funding.

The Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is supposed to work across the county but is far too focused on East Dorset.

How will you protect frontline services such as the NHS and policing in the county?

I’m certain the NHS should be free at the point of delivery and that it must be adequate.

The NHS should be a good, accountable and free service available to all.

With policing, they’ve got a job to do and they must be given the resources to do it.

The police force must be protected in what they do because Martyn Underhill, Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, has already threatened community policing will be withdrawn if funding is cut and I think community policing is the last thing that should go.

The government has got to prioritise the police against other departments, and I know there’s going to be more cuts but essential services must be protected.

Recent years have seen cuts to many services in Dorset, would you expect to see more cuts or less during the next Parliament if your party is successful in the elections?

I would expect to see some more cuts because we want to balance the financial status of the country, which means some cuts but also some tax raising.

They’ve got to be balanced and fair.

I believe we have to tackle tax avoidance and target them along with welfare cheats.

Dorset, like much of the country, has an ageing population. What problems does this pose for Government and what do you propose to do to reflect the changing demographic?

The whole country is getting older and that has to be recognised and it’s certainly happening here in South Dorset.

Our services need to be modified to be able to cope with this grey revolution.

We must also remember there are less and less fewer and fewer young people in our population to support the local economy.

If we put more well paid jobs with the need for better qualifications then we want to be able to keep more young people local rather than the better, cleverer ones drifting away.

We want more apprenticeships for better trained people, and that links with providing better jobs which will help us to address certain issues like the lack of doctors, nurses and carers in the NHS.

What would you do to improve the life chances of career opportunities of young people in Dorset?

I would encourage more well paying industries into the area to help provide these jobs and an increase in apprenticeships for local young people.

We used to have a lot of naval-based industry and we also have some really cutting-edge technological industries on the Granby, but we need more of them.

The Dorset LEP concentrates its funding on the conurbation in Dorset, but it’s meant to be Dorset-wide and the more funding we can get here the better.

When you have been out on the doorstep talking to voters, what has been the main issue raised by the electorate?

The main issue raised is one I don’t particularly like, and that’s blaming the Liberal Democrats for everything that’s gone wrong in the past five years and not giving us credit for the many things we’ve forced the Government to put through.

One was raising the income tax threshold.

The pupil premium was another one. I could go on, but those are the main two.

It’s our main concern, in getting people to realise how they’ve benefited from the Lib Dems being in the Government.

If you felt strongly about a local issue, would you be prepared to vote against your party line?

Yes I would.

The Lib Dems are allowed to do that, it’s in our rules so I would have no problems.

READERS’ QUESTIONS

What will your party do to make sure young people are engaged in politics? (Sarah Trott, aged 13)

I will be more open to them, more welcoming and to listen to them more.

I think there’s a perception and that they feel they are not listened to, and that is what I want to improve.

If you had to make a choice between what’s right for our country’s economy, defence, the NHS, education or the unemployment rate, what you prioritise first and why? (Nick Mason)

In general, my three priorities are to get everyone a good home, a good education and make sure they have good health.

If every newborn child gets those three they have got no excuse for doing well in their lives.

So defence doesn’t come into that, and the education aspect would then help the employment rate so that’s why I think it’s so important.

TOMORROW: Jane Burnet of the Green Party