General Election 2017: Sherwood constituency profile

The Conservatives held the seat in 2015 after gaining it from Labour control in the previous election to that – but it is not considered a safe seat.

Mark Spencer won the seat from Labour in 2010 by a majority of just 214 following Paddy Tipping who held it for Labour for 18 years before that; he did not represent Labour in 2010.

More than 50,000 people turned out to vote for Sherwood in the 2015 general election, the most since 1997 with a turnout of nearly 70 per cent.

Result in 2015: CONSERVATIVE HOLD – Mark Spencer
Majority: 4,647
Electorate: 72,111
Turnout: 69.1 per cent

Constituency boundary


sherwood,constituency,boundary
Sherwood Constituency boundary. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right (2017)

Questioning the candidates


Stuart Bestwick

Stuart Bestwick – UKIP

Why should people vote for you?
People should be voting UKIP generally because we’re going to be the only party that will hold the government to account on Brexit. To get the Brexit that we all voted for last year, you need UKIPs voice to constantly be challenging the party of the day to give us the control on immigration that we need, and the control of our fishery grounds that we need, and control over the European Parliament.

What local issue is most important to you in Sherwood?
I’ve spoken to a lot of people over the last few weeks since Theresa May called the snap general election and the over-riding feeling that I get from people is that one of the main issues is the care of our elderly. It’s something I feel passionate about because of the amount of money these people have paid into our system for 40, 50 years. I think they deserve to be looked after in the correct way. That’s one of the things I’ll be fighting for if I’m elected, making sure the elderly get the care they deserve.

What has the area most got going for it?
I think it’s diverse and what I mean by that is you have the urban areas like Hucknall and the smaller areas like Calverton and the mix of people within those is really enjoyable when you talk to all the different types of people and all age ranges. If I was fortunate enough to be able to represent them, it would be an absolute honour.


Morris Findley

Morris Findley – Green Party

Why should people vote for you?
We really believe in improving the services that are already there in Sherwood and across Nottingham – services such as the NHS, A&E services and GPs. The NHS is really something we’re going to look into and improve and to protect over the next few years. It’s under a lot of threat at the moment and we want to make sure that you can still expect the same great service that we’ve had for many years and a better service in the future.

What local issue is most important to you in Sherwood?
I think the issue people should be thinking about is the environment. Sherwood is a great place, it’s very green and there’s so much space and open areas and that may be under threat over the next few years. There’s going to be a lot of different parties trying to impose on that space and use it for things that it’s not meant to be used for. We just want to protect that area to make sure the area is nice and clean, to make sure you can still go out in the countryside who can still farm the way that they’re supposed to and that people can grow their own vegetables without any pollution in the ground or in the atmosphere so we can be sure we’re protecting the earth we live on. Sherwood is an amazingly green place and we want to keep it that way.

What has the area most got going for it?
My favourite thing about Sherwood are the green spaces such as Sherwood Forest. There are so many cool villages, there is so much open land, farms and areas. There’s so much green space and it’s amazing to see the different animals there and different sorts of wildlife. It’s so diverse in its environmental factors and that’s something we really need to protect.


Mike Pringle

Mike Pringle – Labour

Why should people vote for you?
We’ve had seven years of a Conservative MP representing us and what has happened we have taken from Westminster and brought up to Sherwood what Westminster is expecting of Sherwood and in actual fact we want Sherwood to tell Westminster what Sherwood wants. Sherwood needs proper representation in Westminster and we are able to provide that.

What local issue is most important to you in Sherwood?
Immediately, we want pensions, health and our children to be safe as they are the three main things that we all as families and communities rate the highest. We’ve had devastating effects with women being neglected and the school proposals from the Conservative manifesto is devastating for most families in our area. With regards to healthcare, we know there are funding issues around that when it is something that we built up as a Labour party.

What has the area most got going for it?
Sherwood is in my blood – I moved here in 1970 and haven’t left the area in nearly 50 years. Everything I have done, work, schooling, everything has been in Sherwood. It’s the centre of the universe as far as I’m concerned so that it can receive the best representation it deserves in Westminster.


Mark Spencer

Mark Spencer – Conservative

Why should people vote for you?
The Prime Minister is saying the opposition are trying to frustrate the process of Brexit and play political games. She wants a clear mandate to be able to give her the strength to those she’s negotiating with to say I’ve got my own mandate, I’ve got the power of the British people behind me and I want a good deal for the UK. That’s what she will deliver if she gets into number 10.

What local issue is most important to you in Sherwood?
I think the real important issue for Sherwood is about employment. People really need access to good jobs that are well paid and we need the right infrastructure in place to deliver that. My focus is on job creation and it is an issue for me both at a local and national level. To deliver this, we need a good Brexit deal which will have an impact on the residents here in Sherwood.

What has the area most got going for it?
It’s a brilliant area – everyone recognises Sherwood and it is synonymous with famous figures such as Robin Hood. It would be a great privilege to represent this part of the world again and things like the forest here are such good assets. The best thing about this part of the world though is the people as lots of people here help and I would like to carry on representing the Sherwood constituency.


Becky Thomas

Becky Thomas – Liberal Democrats

Why should people vote for you?
I joined the Liberal Democrats after the 2015 general election because I felt like I needed to get involved and do something personally so I’m really excited about standing. My priorities are to really give people a voice in Sherwood though, to represent them on issues that matter such as funding for the NHS, fewer cuts for schools and to get a second vote on the referendum for Brexit.

What local issue is most important to you in Sherwood?
Sherwood is a very diverse constituency so to pinpoint one issues may not represent the whole constituency. I suppose we need to represent the voices in society who are vulnerable at the moment and those who are having rights taken away from them – for example, the elderly and their pensions. We need to protect those pensions, we need to protect social care for the elderly, especially surrounding talk of death tax and dementia tax to make sure we are supporting those people. We also need to make sure we are supporting our youngest people who don’t have a voice in the elections yet, such as not taking away free school meals and make sure we are funding the extra £7billion required in schools.

What has the area most got going for it?
My favourite thing is the diversity – you can go through mining villages, you can go through countryside and then there are urban areas such as Hucknall. There’s so much going in the constituency.

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