Candidates vying to be the next MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central have been setting out how their policies will deliver the growth and investment businesses need to thrive in the city and surrounding area.
Labour’s Gareth Snell, the Conservative Party’s Dr. Chandra Kanneganti and Independent Navid Kaleem were speaking at a hustings event where they went head-to-head on business matters less than a week before the General Election.
The parliamentary candidates took part in the debate hosted by Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce at Commerce House in front of a large audience who joined in with the robust discussion.
They covered a whole range of topics from Levelling Up to red tape and tax reform, Brexit, city centre business crime fighting, skills, training and regeneration.
Voters will go to the polls for the hotly-contested seat this Thursday (July 4) as the nation decides on its next government.
Former MP Gareth Snell, who is vying to retake the seat he lost in 2019, told the audience: “Our candidates want to work as a team across Stoke-on-Trent with business to provide the economic growth and stability that is central to the plan that the Labour Party has put forward.
“It is easy for Labour to bash business and say it is the root of all evil. But what we are proposing is a partnership between business, workers and communities.
“My aspiration for this community is that everyone has a well skilled, high paid job.
“But that doesn’t happen just because the government will its – that happens because the people on the ground create jobs, businesses pay taxes to fund our public services and are here to support their communities at tough times.
“Locally, I want Stoke-on-Trent to be the hub to start business.
“We are sitting on acres of brownfield land that could quite easily, with the right investment, be turned into economic hubs that could drive growth in this city.
“We also have a huge number of people who want jobs so we must work with education organisations to deliver on training and skills.
“And we must work on tidying up our city.
“I’m tired of reading in the newspapers that we are the Brexit capital and the monkey dust capital of the UK.
“We need to talk better about our city and promote our city and in that way we can attract the jobs and investment we need.”
Dr. Chandra Kanneganti is standing for the Conservatives because former MP Jo Gideon has decided to stand down after one term in office.
He said: “I’ve been a local GP for the past 18 years. I remember coming here in 2006 with not very much, actually.
“I have expanded my GP business, been involved in a restaurant and ran a care home as well – despite being told by the local Labour council at the time it was not viable.
“I think you all agree that the Conservative Party should be the natural party for businesspeople.
“And sticking to the current plan to improve the economy means backing the British businesses and entrepreneurs that create the wealth across the UK.
“It is because of the Conservatives that there are now 1.4 million more business in the UK than 2010.
“In addition, we are dealing with the biggest tax cut for business in our history of £11 billion a year. And, alongside this we are carrying out supportive business rates reform across the financial service sector and ensuring entrepreneurs have access to finance needed to start a business.
“If elected, I hope to work more closely with the Chamber of Commerce to ensure a more green, digital, skills-enhanced, global and collective Staffordshire.”
Local pharmacist Navid Kaleem, who is standing as an Independent, said: “Twenty years ago I didn’t know anything about business.
“Now people come to me for advice. I have 30 employees and turnover just under £4 million.
“So I understand the problems of the business community.
“I have seen the cost-of-living rise and the effect it has on people. So I propose we increase the fiscal allowance to £15,000 to ease the tax burden.
“I also want to target big business to make them pay their fair share of tax in the UK and improve small businesses and help them grown and find success.
“We also need to get organisations like the Chambers of Commerce more involved in the local community, where they are not as well known.
“We’ve also got to make the business environment in Stoke better so as to encourage big business to come here.
“And, very importantly, we need to listen to businesspeople. I’m born and bred here, very proud of the area – so let us help people out.”
The three candidates are among eight standing for the Stoke-on-Trent constituency.
The others are:
AliRom Alirom – Independent
Adam Colclough – Green
Laura McCarthy – Liberal Democrats
Andy Polshaw – Independent
Luke Shenton Reform UK
Daily Focus will feature a full round up of results affecting Staffordshire the morning after the General election.
