General election: Gosport constituency candidates say why you should vote for them

Caroline Dinenage, who was first elected for the Conservatives in 2010 and had a majority of 23,278 in 2019, will be standing to be the town’s MP again. The Gosport constituency boundary is unchanged.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service invited every candidate standing to become Eastleigh’s next MP to submit 200-word profiles. These are the candidates and their own words as to why they are standing, listed alphabetically by surname.

Edward Batterbury – Labour Party

Born and raised locally, lam proud to come from a family with many generations having lived in the area. My family has links to the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and Ministry of Defence. I work locally in the fitness and leisure industry.

Tim Bearder – Liberal Democrat

Introducing our Liberal Democrat candidate for Gosport, Lee-on-the Solent, Stubbington and Hill Head, Tim Bearder, the main challenger to the Conservatives in the General Election.

Tim is a leading campaigner on social issues and an experienced local councillor. A former BBC journalist who reported on ‘South Today’, Tim now runs a successful film production company. He has seen how a Liberal Democrat-run Council can bring new life and business investment into a town and believes Gosport needs a more active MP to deliver the same for Gosport, Stubbington and Hill Head at Westminster.

“Standing for Parliament for a major party, wherever you do it, is a huge honour. Gosport is a wonderful town I am delighted that it has a Lib Dem Council – it would be even better if it had a Lib Dem MP. If you would like to get in touch with me or help us run a winning campaign or make a donation to our campaign funds then please email me via [email protected] The Tories have 14 years of failure under their belts. We need change in Gosport and we need a Lib Dem MP.”

Caroline Julia Dinenage - Conservative Party

"This may be a national election, but it is also a local choice.  It’s my great honour to have been an MP for the place where I live and the people I care about. "I have a proven track record of standing up Gosport, Lee on the Solent, Stubbington and Hill Head and securing our fair share when it comes to investment and opportunity.   "But I have also consistently supported individuals across our community, fighting their corner, sometimes in the toughest of times. "A vote for me is a vote for a candidate who has delivered.  Whether that’s securing £18 million Levelling Up funding to regenerate Gosport waterfront or £100+ million of road improvements including the vital Stubbington bypass, not to mention the £80 million Daedalus Enterprise Zone. "It’s a vote for a candidate who has a genuine understanding and affection for this community and a determination to continue to represent it with energy and integrity. "And it’s a vote for more investment, better services and stronger infrastructure. Because, if re-elected, I will continue to fight for the improvements our area needs. From better healthcare to more special educational needs provision. "So a vote for me is a vote for a record of delivery, and a promise of more."

Lisa Grace Englefield – Heritage Party

I was born and bred in Hampshire and now live and work in Gosport where I have the honour of standing for the Heritage Party. Gosport, Lee-on-the-Solent, Stubbington and Hillhead are full of outstanding beauty, but suffer similar issues to many coastal areas. Our area has a rich history and I want to preserve and enhance it and create jobs for the locals.

The three main parties hold the same policies and are taking this country down the same road just at different speeds. The Heritage Party will bring us back onto the path of sanity, giving the power, money and freedom back to the people.

Our simple, common sense policies include:

• Protection of our culture and heritage
• National sovereignty
• Honour the military covenant and build up our navy, army and airforce
• Free speech and liberty
• Traditional family values
• Stop gender ideology and sexualisation of children in schools
• Control our borders – end mass immigration
• Stop funding wars that are not in the national interest – de-escalate the current crisis
• Reducing and then abolishing VAT, Inheritance Tax and Stamp duty on UK citizens’ primary residences
• Self-sufficiency in energy
• Support our farmers
• No more lockdowns or coerced ‘vaccinations’

Matt Mulliss - ReformUK

I am Matt Mulliss, I joined the Reform UK party as their policies and drive for change very much resonate with my own values and views wanting to be part of a country to be proud of again.

I remember that, as a child, people were proud and happy to be British and part of the UK and our great Commonwealth. Watching on the TV at the Commonwealth Games and the pride that every single team and onlooker took in the knowledge that they were part of something so much bigger, such a proud and glorious nation and beyond …the envy of the world!

I come from a hardworking and honest family with an amazing, hardworking mother and father.

I am a marine engineer and marine captain in the Solent area and around Gosport. The water has been my life. I am also a marine conservationist and marine life enthusiast who has and will continue to fight for the good of our oceans, our treasured Gosport coastlines, and our beaches.

I will fight for you with everything I have. I will take your fight and make it mine. With your vote, we can make a difference. We can make ourselves proud again. We can make Gosport and Britain great once more.

Jeff Roberts- Independent

An Independent representative who will promote values, not promises.

Fairness, Integrity, Openness and Trust. Will tell the truth, however painful – not my truth.

Will not obsess about taxes and will oppose austerity – “Taxes, the price we pay for living in a civilised society.”

All expenditure will be examined carefully, treating Government spending as we would treat our personal spending – Cautiously. Pursuit of Ideological solutions – not permitted. Compromise is a strong action word.

What does Independent mean?

Not being subject to the coercive and, at times, bullying insistence of the political party whip. Refusing to bow to the pressure and influence exerted by lobbyists and organisations promoting their aims.

What should an Independent MP do?

Probe and enquire all constituents genuine concerns. Become a sceptic about process and delay concerning all Government actions, and inactions, together with Civil Service decision making. Publicise the sometime delays in conducting enquiries and actions. The late Frank Field MP provided an excellent example and was admired on both sides of the House.

Advantages of a Senior Citizen as an MP.

Experience of life, its difficulties and delights.

Not treating the position of an MP as a stepping stone to a lucrative business career.

As an Independent candidate.

In elections of 2015 and 2017, Jeff Roberts promised, if elected, to take 50% of the MP salary. The remaining 50% going to Primary Schools in the Gosport constituency – Early years education, a priority and the foundation of a fulfilling life. This offer remains.

Tony Sudworth – Green Party

A member of Greenpeace since 1985, as well as the Green Party here in Hampshire and in Cheshire. Worked in IT for 40+ years, in the public and private sector. A qualified economist and systems implementation specialist.

I moved to Gosport last year and believe that we have four areas we need to tackle:

A more equal distribution of the rewards of our economic system. This will reduce inequality and open up opportunity for everyone to succeed. There is plenty of research that shows making a society more equal makes it a happier place.

Finland was ranking the happiest country in the world in 2023 – why? because of their welfare system’s ability to help its citizens feel taken care of. Policies such as relatively generous unemployment benefits and nearly free healthcare help mitigate sources of unhappiness.

Push for the move to a greener economy to tackle climate change AND give us cleaner energy, reduced pollution making our environment cleaner and quieter and remove the need for dirty fossil energy, aiming for a safe and healthy Gosport.

I heard a commentator on the radio today say “we can’t afford Net Zero” – we really need to wake up Gosport because the costs of not doing Net Zero are a LOT higher.

If I had to have a slogan, it would be ‘Doing Nothing is not an option – for you, me and 9 billion others on planet Earth – we need to start here.’

Dave Watson – Hampshire Independents

No response received.