Your Voice, Your Vote: Is growth important?

South Suffolk is a mostly rural area that has seen some factories close in recent years

Many of the political parties have been talking about economic growth during this election campaign.

Economic growth is often measured by a country's gross domestic product (GDP).

And for some, more growth is a positive thing.

But Dr. Jon Mulberg, who lives in Suffolk, does not necessarily agree. He contacted the BBC as part of the Your Voice, Your Vote campaign to ask:

"Most of the political parties keep talking about economic growth, but what exactly is it that they want to grow?

"What do they think we need more of that we don't have now, given that there is no long-term relationship between jobs and GDP?”

We asked the candidates standing to become the next MP in South Suffolk what they thought.

Tom Bartleet, Liberal Democrats

Tom Bartleet says he wants to see more people start apprenticeships

Mr Bartleet said growth was dependant on people wanting to live and work here.

"As a largely rural constituency, and with so much damage having been done to people’s living standards and public services, it is vital to improve business opportunities, community well-being and the health of our population," he said.

"We would give local authorities the powers they need to restore bus routes and add new ones where there is local need.

"We would establish a Strategic Small Surgeries Fund to sustain GP surgeries in rural areas and fix the broken NHS Dental contract.

"Growth is all of this. Each leads to the other and benefits the other."

Emma Bishton, Labour

Emma Bishton said economic growth was Labour's number one priority

Emma Bishton says growth in South Suffolk means "significant investment in public services, the private sector and agriculture which, together, will support at least 4,000 secure new jobs here over the next five years.

"Across the constituency we’ll fix the potholes in our roads and, in the longer term, we’ll improve bus services.

"Local businesses will also get better access to super-fast internet under plans to speed up the roll-out of broadband and 5G."

She added: "All these plans are fully costed and come with a guarantee that there’ll be no increases in income tax, national insurance or VAT."

James Cartlidge, Conservatives

James Cartlidge said growth involved confidence, investment and skills

James Cartlidge said that to get a growing economy, we need "stability so that businesses and consumers have the confidence to invest".

"That's why it's such good news that inflation is on target at 2%."

He added: "To empower investment, I believe MPs can play a key role. For example, when the former Philips Avent plant in Glemsford closed, I worked with national government to attract the largest single inward investment in the history of the district.

"I've fought hard for tens of millions of funding for a new school building at Ormiston Sudbury Academy, and if re-elected would continue to campaign for investment in education."

Beverley England, Reform UK

Beverley England said her party realises the importance of business and farming

Beverley England said the current state of infrastructure is "abysmal" and she would chase for road repairs.

She would ensure free parking was "kept around shopping areas as local retail businesses are already struggling with rent, business rates and lower footfall due to cost of living crisis".

Ms England said she was against solar farms on agricultural land. "I would absolutely campaign hard to oppose all of these - we need food security and high grade agricultural land is not the place for solar panels when brownfield sites/industrial parks are more suitable areas."

She said she was against plans to build miles of energy pylons through Suffolk and would like to see the project built offshore.

Also standing in South Suffolk is Jessie Carter for the Green Party.

The BBC tried contacting the candidate but did not hear back.

Green Party co-leader, Adrian Ramsay, last month told the BBC that relying on gross domestic product (GDP) to judge the state of the economy was a "blunt instrument".

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