Candidate Profile: Jacqueline Brown – Labour Party

We asked General Election candidate Jacqueline Brown (Labour) your questions – here’s their candidate profile which answers them.

Candidates may be providing answers before the publication of their party’s manifesto. Therefore, things may develop or be updated after these have been published.

Candidate Details:

• Constituency: Stone, Great Wryley and Penkridge
• Which city/town/village do you live in? : Loggerheads ward
• Is it within the constituency boundary of the new seat? (If no, please advise whether you intend to move within the constituency and if so in what timeframe) : This was in the Stone Constituency until 12 Oct 2023 when the boundaries changed. It is now in Stafford constituency. As I live a very short drive to the new border I would not plan to move. However, I would like a constituency office in the south of the constituency if elected so I can cover this large area.

Personal Background :
I am married with a grown up son. I grew up in Derbyshire, the eldest of 4 children. We lived in a council house and my dad was a builder`s labourer from Ireland and my Mum was a local girl who had been a wages clerk but worked P/T in shops and factories when we were growing up. I took my `A` levels during the miners’ strike and went to train as a teacher at what is now Manchester Metropolitan University.  I taught nursery & infant children in London for 11 years. I moved to Staffordshire in 1999 for a Deputy Headship and then got a Headship in Meir, Stoke-on-Trent in 2002. In 2014 I became an educational consultant, setting up my own business which has now been trading successfully for 10 years. I enjoy the countryside including walking & camping. I enjoy gardening, eating out and keeping fit at the gym.

Political Background :
I have always been a Labour voter but did not join the party until 2015. Before then I was a union rep for the NUT and then later as a Headteacher got involved with the NAHT and became President of the Stoke branch in 2014. I was the women`s officer for Stone Labour and then was elected as Chair from 2019 until the boundary change of Oct 2023. In Jan 2022 I was selected as the Labour candidate for the NULBC elections, and I was elected in Silverdale with the largest vote share. I am now the Shadow Portfolio holder for Leisure, Heritage & Culture on Newcastle Borough Council. I am a serving Parish councillor on Loggerheads PC, serving on the planning committee. I was selected as the Labour Parliamentary Candidate for the general election in April this year.

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Candidate Question:

The new constituency seat is geographically extensive. If you are elected as our MP, how will
you ensure that the town of Stone gets the representation it needs?

I am Stone based and traditionally this was the centre of the constituency. I would have `revolving surgeries ` in the 3 centres, ensuring that I see Stone residents at least monthly when parliament is in session. I would make use of virtual meetings. I would also, for the first time, be able to employ staff who would deal with administration. This would give me more time to work for constituents. I would maintain the strong links I have with town councillors and other key agencies in Stone to ensure I am up to date and involved. I enjoy good health, have plenty of energy and transport to get around the constituency and I have been doing so since the local elections last May and before the boundary changes.

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How will you keep in touch with Stone residents if you are elected as our MP?

 See above. I also like to meet people face to face and have undertaken lots of home visits or meetings in cafes as a councillor. However, I would always consider safety arrangements

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Why are you standing to be our MP?

I see this as the culmination of a life in public service. I wish to make a difference to my community and I am very proud of my record and reputation as a Labour councillor. I think parliament needs to be more diverse, having`non career` politicians, older women and working class women to add their voices and experience to the `collective wisdom`. I have taken responsibility for a home, then a school and then a ward. It would be the biggest honour of my life to be elected as your MP.

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How will you address the lack of NHS services in the area? Currently, no local dentists are taking on adult NHS patients, and waiting times for doctors are often measured in weeks – not days.

Labour has 5 key missions. One of these is `Getting the NHS on its feet again` and the Labour First Steps include cutting NHS waiting lists. I cannot believe we have a situation in one of the richest countries in the world where children cannot get NHS dentistry. This would have seemed impossible 15 years ago. I have friends who are NHS dentists who say they were treated very badly by this government during Covid. Some have sold their practices or stopped having NHS patients. Labour set up the NHS and has a proud record of investing in it.

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What do you see as the biggest threat to High Streets like Stone, and what will you and your party do to ensure it thrives? 

Many challenges face our high streets, including the move to online shopping and people`s fear of anti social behaviour in some of our town centres. Transport issues are common and people cannot get quickly and easily into the town centres, this affects the night time economy i.e. bars & restaurants. Business owners tell me the costs of fuel has had a big effect on their viability. Labour plans to address these barriers by growing the economy, cracking down on anti social behaviour and nationalising energy so it is cheaper for users. We need to look at places with thriving town centres and see what can be learned e.g. pedestrianised streets and consider using obsolete town centre buildings for housing. That way older and younger people would be near the amenities. All of this has implications for planning. Long term, joined up thinking is needed to regenerate our high streets so they thrive.

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Public transport has declined severely over the past 10 years. Today, no bus services allow residents to get from the estates across Stone into the town centre. Our train service has been severely reduced, meaning fewer trains are going to fewer destinations. What will you and your party do to help re-establish local transport links that will allow residents, workers, and visitors to leave their cars at home?

I am very interested in public transport and have met with local groups including the Stone Rail group and the author of Brewood transport survey to think about how we could improve the system. The transport we have is not joined up and we should think about a travel card/ticket similar to those used on TFL. Unfortunately we have got into a situation where bus routes do not run if they are not profitable. However, transport is too important to be left to a simple business model and needs investment so that the opportunities for individuals and the economy can be realised. There are some excellent examples e.g. in Manchester of how this kind of approach and investment can deliver results. If we have improved and reliable bus/train services Stone centre will not be gridlocked as it often is now.

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Since the closure and sale of Stone police station, we haven’t had a visible police presence to investigate or deter crime. What would you do to address this?

Nothing gives more security than having a visible police presence. Labour has committed to delivering 14,000 more police officers and PCSOs nationwide. We need to reverse the cuts made when Theresa May was home secretary. Modern policing may not involve the need for as many physical police stations as in the past, but community hubs could have a police/PCSO presence to ensure very local issues are nipped in the bud. We need to look at the whole system in terms of crime, sentencing and prisons as there has been no investment and it is very worrying that prisoners are being released early. Where is the deterrent? The probation service is key to rehabilitation and again it has been severely cut. PCSOs play a very important role going into schools and making young people aware criminal responsibility starts age 10. I work closely with them as a councillor and school governor.

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The cost-of-living crisis has hit everyone in their pocket. Despite a slowdown in inflation, prices are still significantly higher than a few years ago – and unless we see deflation, they won’t be reducing. What will you and your party do to ensure the electorate feels like their spending power has been restored?

We are told inflation is going down but people are just not feeling it. They have been hit by waves of increased costs: fuel, mortgages/rents and food inflation, the latter effects those with low incomes as a big proportion of their spending power. Labour`s new deal for working people will ensure work pays. We will end Fire & Rehire and ensure zero hours contracts are only available for those who want this kind of flexibility. We should also look at the plight of self employed people who pay tax and NI but are not entitled to any sick pay or holiday pay. The tax threshold has been frozen for some time so more of our money is taxed and again this impacts on those on the lowest incomes.  Addressing these issues will help people have more spending power which in turn drives the economy.

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 If elected, what would you do to substantially increase the availability of good-quality social housing for rent and affordable properties for first-time buyers?

The new Labour controlled Stafford Borough Council is building council houses and I welcome such schemes. Unfortunately, we have seen a kind of `wild west` with planning due to poor planning regulations and enforcement. This has meant that the types of home that get built are the ones which developers want to build i.e. 4 bed executive homes which are the most profitable for them. This very rarely meets the needs of all local people so the requirements for starter homes/affordable homes should be rigorously enforced. Rents in the private sector have risen so much that the average renter is spending most of their wages on rent. In the past we had `fair rent` officers and this type of regulation is needed. Labour have put forward a `Renter`s Charter` which would stop no fault evictions and give renters protections. On the doorsteps I am meeting people in Stone who are paying huge rents with grown up children. These people tell me they do not know when their child can ever start up on their own. This is not acceptable.

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Stone’s roads and pavements are in a terrible state despite regular news reports about additional funding for pothole repairs. How will you ensure that our roads and pavements are safe and suitable for all users? 

Local authority funding has been cut by 37% under the Tories. We are now seeing the legacy of this under-investment. Councils are asked to provide more services with less money and `bread and butter` maintenance is under threat. It is often a complicated process to find out who is responsible for what e.g. roads are Highways (County Council) and pavements are Borough council and subsequently to get the job done. When I report these issues as a councillor they go on a maintenance list and are often classed as low priority. This is why our roads are in such a state. We need to look again at how Local government is funded

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Roadworks have had a significant impact over the last few years. While investment is welcome, it seems that companies taking public cash rarely work as quickly as they could – we often see long periods of time with no workers or they have all gone home early in the afternoon. What solutions would you like to see implemented that would ensure that 3^rd party contractors work quickly and efficiently to ensure that roadworks are completed in a timely manner?

This relates to the question above in terms of cuts to Local Authorities. There is just not the staff to oversee the contractors. If regulation and enforcement are poor contractors may get repeat contracts even if their performance has not been good. Councils need to be vigilant in who they do business with. Several councils have adopted a Fair Tax council standard ensuring anyone they contract to work with them operates to a high standard in their financial affairs. However not all councils will adopt this standard.

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Stone is a rural town; what will you and your party do to support rural businesses and workers?

I have been endorsed by Labour Coast & Country who have produced a rural manifesto. One of the ways we can support rural businesses is to ensure that they have available workers. This can only be achieved if there is good local transport and affordable housing as the workers pay may not be high, at least to start with.

Labour has done a lot of work alongside businesses and ensuring economic stability will improve business prospects. Small to medium businesses do not get any support at present and are really under pressure. In my own field nursery businesses can struggle, especially in rural areas when the government funding does not cover the true cost of the child`s place. Nurseries therefore need to increase fees as other costs like fuel increase. Many such nurseries have closed which is a loss to the community and causes parents to have to travel further for childcare.

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As a canal town and a town with a world-renowned canoeing club, what will you and your party do to ensure that our waterways are well-maintained and free from sewage?

Stone Branch Labour Party has been leading the local campaign to clean up the River Trent in Stone in partnership with Councillor Jill Hood and other concerned members of the community. I recently joined their second meeting with Severn Trent Water representatives to push for increased action to safeguard the health and safety of the Canoe Club members, other river users and wildlife, and we are currently working on achieving Designated Bathing Water Status to secure more frequent water quality testing and required improvements. The Labour Party nationally has pledged to clean up our waters with-

• Automatic fines for sewage dumping.
• Mandatory monitoring of all sewage outlets
• Legally binding targets to end 90% of sewage discharges by 2030.

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It feels like politicians focus on the vote-winning older generations. What will you and your party do to support teenagers and young adults who are experiencing issues accessing things like education, jobs and mental health services? 

I agree that because older people tend to be reliable voters politicians tend to `woo` them with commitments on the pension triple lock, for example. I have had a life time of working with children and young people and have always encouraged them to know their rights & responsibilities: including how important it is for them to have their say. For that reason I would like to see the voting age lowered to 16. However, changes which make it more difficult to vote eg voter ID and the need for NI numbers etc do not help. Labour`s fifth mission `Breaking down the barriers to opportunity will give every child the best start and provide affordable, life long learning. 

Youth services have been cut to the bone since 2010 and these provide outlets and positive role models for young people. Schemes which get young people involved with sport and other recreation which are low cost/no cost thrived in the years before Austerity and we will work with charities and providers to ensure these are re established. Finally, we have committed to increasing apprenticeships, as university is not the best route for everyone. As a governor I see how school budgets are stretched to breaking points. Labour has committed to recruit 6,500 new teachers and set up breakfast clubs for children in schools giving them a healthy start to each day.

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Most people agree that walking is very beneficial—how can we ensure that our network of rights-of-way is properly maintained and available to all?

I have limited knowledge of this issue and would seek to find out what the current situation through my connections with Labour Coast & Country. I know the Rambler`s Association is very active locally and I would seek their views and support any campaigns to increase access and participation in walking. As a councillor I have worked with `Sub strans` to ensure the walk ways in my ward are safe and accessible for disabled users. I live in a rural village and spend as much time as I can walking in the beautiful Staffordshire countryside, good for mind and body. As a Parish councillor I have been involved in maintaining the local `loops` and ensuring styles and signage are maintained for the enjoyment of users.

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What will you and your party do to control both legal and illegal immigration?

This country has always welcomed immigrants and they have contributed a great deal to our history, culture and economy. My own father left the British army in the late 50`s to come here from Ireland, he worked for the electricity board laying cables. Most of us have a story like that to tell, about family or friends that have come from overseas and made a good life here. However, in the last decade the government have `lost control` of immigration. There have been many factors contributing to this but rather than coming up with expensive and ineffective gimmicks like the `Rwanda scheme` the government should concentrate on processing immigration applications speedily by investing the money wasted on failing schemes into processing centres. The civil servants who make important immigration decisions have been cut under the Tories adding to the huge backlog of cases. Also, during the Brexit period, we failed to work effectively with border forces in Europe. Where proper action has been taken there have been successes e.g. in the case of Albanian citizens falsely seeking asylum. I also think housing asylum seekers in hotels was a costly mistake. I believe asylum seekers should be allowed to work. Some of them are waiting more than 2 years for a decision and many want to be productive and contribute. If people gain the right to live here and do not make a positive contribution i.e. they commit a crime they should be deported.

Illegal immigration is dangerous, and we need to crack down hard on the evil criminal gangs who exploit vulnerable people. This will take co operation with Europe and there have recently been cases where the gang leaders have been brought to justice.

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What’s your opinion on the climate crisis? What should individuals and the government do to ensure our children and grandchildren can grow up in a healthy environment?

Successive governments here and abroad have been too slow to respond to the climate crisis. There have been denials and recently `rowing back` on climate action promises. We saw this with ULEZ in the Uxbridge by election which resulted in the Tory national and  some local governments pulling back on clean air schemes as they thought it was a vote winner. The Labour party is committed to a fairer, greener future. If elected, we will switch on GB Energy for green economic growth. Investment in renewable energy and a commitment to insulating homes will help counteract the climate crisis and produce more high quality jobs. Every individual can make a contribution, for their grandchildren, by taking small steps themselves and this should be rewarded and encouraged. These could include limiting air travel, switching to a hybrid/electric car when they next need a new one and eating less meat. These individual contributions can help people feel less depressed and helpless about the climate crisis.

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“Why should I vote for you? All politicians lie and say what they want to get elected.” – How do you respond to this statement?

I would say I understand why you say that. 14 years of Tory government has destroyed people`s trust in politicians and politics has become almost a dirty word. This is very damaging, as democracy itself is under threat here and across the world. Those who want to have power and serve their own interest are happy to let people think the above statement is true i.e. anyone entering public life is in it for themselves as it lets them off the hook. I would say judge me on my record. Look at what I have achieved and talk to the people I have worked with and helped. I cannot vouch for my personal integrity in my own words, but they can. It is difficult to put your `head above the parapet` these days and those that do have to work very hard to regain people`s trust. In this profile I have been honest about issues that are not my area of expertise, if a candidate couldn’t do that how could they learn to best represent you.

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As our MP, how would you ensure that independent publications like A Little Bit of Stone get the support they need? Whether that’s protection from big tech companies scraping our content, suppressing our content or ensuring that public money is available to help create a sustainable business?

Independent publications like ALBOS provide an important and valued service to local communities and I would want to work with the independent publications themselves to find out how they continue to grow and flourish. I would find out if there is a body/association which represents them and work with that. I would find out if there were any funding streams available to start up and develop such ventures and sign post those running the publications to this.

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If elected, what would be the top five areas on which you’d be concentrating your efforts?

1. The NHS at point of access for SGWP residents
2. Tightening up regulation & enforcement e.g. to prevent pollution, overdevelopment without infrastructure etc
3. Child poverty and the long term effects on individuals and society if this is not tackled through programmes such as breakfast clubs, high quality nursery education etc
4. Transport: ensuring affordable, green transport is available to help break down barriers to opportunities
5. Housing: Ensuring social and affordable housing is available that meets the needs of residents at different stages of their lives and provides a secure base from which to raise a family and contribute to society.

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Closing Statement, why should people vote for you?

I want to help restore people`s trust in politicians. We are not all career politicians and we should be judged on our conduct and achievements. I have a long and successful record of public service. My school achieved Ofsted Outstanding twice during my headship. I have a 100% attendance record as a borough councillor and have worked on 70 cases for local residents in my two years as a councillor. I have combined this with running my business on a part time basis. I would continue this high standard of public service and conduct as an M.P. If elected I would devote my time to working hard for constituents. I would never take a second job or accept a pay rise as an M.P. We have a unique opportunity in this new constituency to elect an MP within a Labour government who will commit to a programme of significant renewal for Britain.

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