High streets and crime on agenda in key seat

Earlier this week the sofa was in Aldershot

Ahead of the upcoming general election on 4 July, BBC South is taking its red sofa out and about to key constituencies across the region to hear what matters most to voters.

The thoughts and concerns voiced by the public will then be put to the candidates standing in that seat.

This week, the sofa was in Aldershot, Hampshire - a seat that has voted Conservative at every election since it was formed in 1918.

Leo Docherty held the seat for the Tories in 2019 with a majority of 16,000 votes.

But it is now seen as one of Labour's key targets, after the party took control of the area's council for the first time following the local elections in May.

Maria highlighted levels of policing as a key issue

Maria, who has lived in the town most of her life, said the upcoming election was "desperately important".

She highlighted policing and anti-social behaviour as issues she would be voting on

"I've been up to the police station and there's no one there and you get put through to Southampton, and that's not on," she said.

Maria said there needed to be "some [police] presence in Aldershot", adding that there was "no one for miles" - after another nearby station in Farnborough closed down.

Regenerating high streets would be on the top of voter Matthew's agenda

Matthew, who lives in Aldershot and works as a floor layer, labelled the election "the most important one in my lifetime".

He said regenerating high streets, particularly Aldershot's, was a key issue for him.

"The whole place just wants a bit of money spent on it, tidying up, regenerate the place, get the shops back open again, lower the prices of the shop rents and get people in there."

On what he would like to ask the candidates standing, he said: "I'd like to know what they're going to do for local businesses, local towns and people that were brought up in the area."

Part-time teacher Dawda highlighted the plight of single parents

Dawda is a part-time teacher, and originally from the Gambia in West Africa.

He said he wanted a "stronger government" with "confidence" that would "help people more" - especially single parents.

"The government should do more to help single mum and dads, and give them special grants rather than alienate them through universal credit - which is extremely tough and frustrating," he said.

He also said education was a key issue for him.

"An educated economy is a prosperous one," he said.

What do the candidates say?

Having heard from the people of Aldershot, we posed their questions to the candidates vying to represent the town as its MP come the 5 July.

We moved the sofa somewhere a bit more private, and put the questions to four of the six candidates standing in the seat.

Leo Docherty won the seat in 2019

Incumbent Conservative candidate Leo Docherty said: "We've got to ensure town centres are vibrant places of light."

He highlighted ongoing work to regenerate Aldershot town centre and said it needed a "high degree" of residential buildings right in the middle of the town, meaning "those local people can then use shops in the town centre, so that those shops are kept busy".

On policing and anti-social behaviour, Mr Docherty said the government had to ensure "there are more police on the beat".

He added: "We are delivering more police, ensuring high streets and town centres are safe and I'm working with the Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, to deliver that."

Alex Baker is standing for Labour

Labour candidate Alex Baker said: "I feel our community has been taken for granted over the last five years of Conservative government - we've got to change our approach."

She said as a local resident herself, she had been "really frustrated by how run-down the town centres are" and highlighted Labour plans to "bring town centres back to life".

In answer to questions about policing and anti-social behaviour, she referenced Labour's plans to hire 13,000 new police officers across the country.

She added that she would "fight to make sure" that Aldershot got its "fair share" of those proposed new officers.

Lib Dem candidate Paul Harris said public services needed improving

Paul Harris, who is standing for the Liberal Democrats, said improved public services were "what we need across the whole country".

"They've been neglected for years," he said.

He said the number of community police officers had "dramatically reduced", and needed to be "substantially increased" as they were "very valuable".

On how he would help to restore confidence in government, Mr Harris said: "Tell the truth - that would restore confidence."

Trevor Lloyd-Jones highlighted Reform's plans to tax big online retailers

On the issue of high streets, Reform UK candidate Trevor Lloyd-Jones said the party planned to introduce a 4% online sales tax on big internet retailers.

He said they would "use that to fund a cut in business rates for small businesses on the high street".

He also referenced a party pledge to recruit 40,000 police officers over a five-year period.

"The police force needs to be freed from a lot of bureaucracy, and form filling that they do right now, and to put more powers in the hands of experienced local police officers to deal with all those low level crime issues," he added.

Green party candidate Ed Neville and Hampshire Independents' Steve James-Bailey are both also standing in the constituency.

A full list of candidates standing in Aldershot, as well as in every seat across the United Kingdom, can be seen here.