We offered all the prospective parliamentary candidates attending our recent public meeting the opportunity to send you a message. The following is the message from Alan Mak (Conservative party).
Andy Henderson
Chair, Cycle Hayling
Dear Cycle Hayling members and supporters,
Thank you for welcoming me to your AGM, and for giving me the opportunity to hear more about your work.
You can find out about my work on Hayling via http://www.alanmak.org.uk/hayling-island and www.Twitter.com/AlanMak4MP
I enjoy cycling, both for leisure and to commute, though I don’t get as much chance I would like to cycle! I am keen to support Cycle Hayling’s work as much as I can if I’m lucky enough to be elected. I was impressed by all that you have achieved to date, from the Hayling Island Cycle Map to protecting the Billy Trail.
Going forward, I am especially interested in supporting your work to create safer cycle routes to local schools, the North-South cycle link, and seeing if we can (re)start a Hayling cycle sharing scheme (along the lines of the Boris Bikes in London). I also keen to do all I can to ensure the Cycle Map thrives by encouraging local businesses to continue supporting it.
Beyond cycling, my wider priorities for Hayling at this election are:
- Strong Economy: Hayling residents deserve a secure and prosperous future, and a strong local economy is key. I want to help deliver more jobs, rising living standards and inward investment. As a shopkeeper’s son, I will back our small shops and businesses in areas like Mengham, West Town and Eastoke, and encourage businesses to locate to places like Sparkes Marina which would be perfect for online-businesses or light industry. We need more all-year-round jobs to complement our successful, seasonal visitor economy. I will also support the continued success of our sailing, watersports and coastal tourism sector. Nationally, we have started to balance the books and turn the economy round. We want to finish the job.
- Successful Schools: Every young person on Hayling deserves the best start in life, and every resident regardless of age needs the skills to compete and succeed in an increasingly competitive economy. So, I will work with Colin Rainford and his staff at Hayling College to boost attainment, and support our primary & junior schools Mengham and Mill Rythe, using my experience as a long-serving primary school governor. I will also encourage life-long learning, including promotion adult education courses at places like South Downs and Havant College. We will continue to invest in education. I have visited every secondary school in the constituency (plus Havant College and South Downs) to listen to students and staff and understand their priorities.
- Vibrant Communities: Hayling has a strong identity, excellent community spirit, and diversity (from the tranquillity of Northney to the hustle and bustle of the Seafront and Mengham). I want to protect and enhance this. Hayling also has a wide range of community groups, sports clubs and churches. Having met many of these groups, I am keen to support their continued growth and success, for example, helping them win funding or promote themselves locally. I will also support efforts to re-start the Hayling Ferry, and understand there are some interested parties already.
This election is about choosing a hardworking, energetic local MP which I want to be, and also ensuring a strong Conservative government finishes the job of turning our economy around. The alternative is the chaos of Ed Miliband and Ed Balls in Downing Street, propped up by the Scottish Nationalists, a combination we literally cannot afford.
Once again thank you all for your warm welcome at the AGM, and I look forward to keeping in touch.
Best wishes
Alan Mak
Conservative MP Candidate for Havant & Hayling Island