Find out more about who is standing to be MP in Hornsey and Wood Green

As the General Election takes place on December 12, the Parliamentary candidates explained more about themselves and why they are standing to be MP for your constituency.

Here is what they had to say:

Ed McGuinness – Conservative

I grew up in Belfast in the 1990s and early 2000’s during the transition from the Troubles to a lasting, but vulnerable peace. It was during this time I realised the value politicians can make to a country and community.

While growing up I developed a keen interest in the military and, following graduation in Mathematics from St Andrews University, was selected to attend the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2012 and commissioned as a regular British Army officer in August 2013.

During my years in the Royal Artillery I deployed to Afghanistan in 2014, running an intelligence gathering platform to secure the withdrawal of British Forces from Helmand. Following this I went on to lead teams in Kenya and in Canada finishing my regular military service in 2018 as a Forward Air Controller, leading a team of specialist soldiers to co-ordinate the airspace in a highly pressured environment.

In 2018 I moved to Islington and began to work for a leading financial services company. I also become active in my local Conservative Federation and in February 2019 was elected Chairman of Islington Conservatives. During this tenure I have been a passionate advocate of his local area and taken the lead in the NE London GLA campaign as co-Chair. I am also active in the community as a school governor.

In November 2019 I was selected as the Conservative candidate for Hornsey & Wood Green. As MP for this constituency I pledge to deliver the following: Tackling the increase in serious violent crime, supporting small businesses, more money in your pocket, investing in our community, funding further education and combatting climate change.

Dawn Barnes – Liberal Democrat.

Dawn is a local councillor in Crouch End and has previously stood as the Liberal Democrat candidate in Hornsey & Wood Green at the 2017 General Election.

She’s been campaigning since school when she fought for girls to wear trousers as part of uniform and to play football as part of the curriculum. Since then, Dawn has successfully brought over 400 empty homes along the North Circular back into use – winning £54m in funding from the then Mayor of London, Boris Johnson – and made Haringey Council a London Living Wage employer.

“The next things on my list to achieve are staying in the EU; finding ways to protect our environment – reversing damage where possible; and fighting for a fairer, more representative politics.

“Sorting out the housing crisis is a big one too, with thousands of Londoners being forced out of town and people becoming poorer as more of their income is spent on rent,” commented Dawn Barnes.

“I’m proud to stand on a manifesto that the Institute for Fiscal Studies cited deliverable, unlike those of the Tories and Labour, and that is deemed to be the best for the poorest people in our society, according to the Resolution Foundation.”

She lives in Bounds Green and has worked in communications and marketing for over 15 years. Her experience is diverse, and she has worked in many sectors, including for a charity working with people who misuse substances and alcohol; a local council and a sustainable design and regeneration company. She currently works for King's College London.

Helen Spiby-Vann – Christian Peoples Alliance.

“We are pro-family, we support the vulnerable, pro-green and pro-business.

We would generate £32bn with a 5% turnover tax (offset against corporation tax) on multi-nationals like Amazon and Starbucks who use offshore accounts to avoid paying their fair share of UK tax. We would use this £32bn to:

• Halve commercial rates to benefit local business and revive town centres
• Universal Credit: restore the £12bn cuts
• £12,000 per couple marriage grants (with marriage training)
• Free night shelters, meals and advocacy for rough sleepers

We would expand, for example Christian initiatives that reduce reoffending like Saltbox (50% national average to 10%) by working with people as they leave prison. For a lasting reduction in crime we need to tackle its root causes. Children from broken homes are more at risk of youth offending, poor educational outcomes, health issues and homelessness. These issues are costlier to fix than strengthening marriages from the start.

Our marriage grants help mum and dad stay together so we spend less on family breakdown. The savings would be invested in the NHS and critical children/adult services down the years. We are pro-life: we oppose Labour’s up-to-birth abortion pledge (p48 manifesto).

And for the disabled and elderly, we would:

• Provide better support at home to minimize costly hospital stays
• Customise day centers for complex disabilities
• Provide easily accessible rehab
• Share grants for families to accommodate their disabled relative at home
• Push state funded personal care
• Increase carer’s allowance and respite
• Have a £200pw state pension"

Catherine West – Labour

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Catherine West did not respond to the Enfield Independent, but on her website, she wrote:

“Nine years of crippling Tory and Lib Dem austerity has left our hospitals, schools, police and social care system at breaking point.

With your support we can keep Hornsey & Wood Green red and elect a Labour Government on Thursday 12 December with an alternative vision for Britain to tackle these challenges and ensure we have properly funded public services.

In Parliament since 2015, I’ve stood up for our community and fought against Brexit. I voted against triggering Article 50, voted to retain our Single Market and Customs Union membership, backed proposals to revoke Article 50 f no deal is reached before exit day and was one of the first MPs to come out in support of a public vote on the final deal.

I’ve led calls to investigate the scandal that saw thousands of U citizens denied their vote in the European Elections.”

Jarelle Francis – Green

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Jarelle Francis did not respond to the Enfield Independent, but on the Green Party page it was said:

Jarelle, 34, is a young entrepreneur who has previously run his own business, and currently works as an independent art curator, with a focus on making arts and culture more accessible to young people, and communities outside the traditional art world.

"I am a Wood Green resident and love Hornsey and Wood Green for the wonderful diversity of people and its Green spaces - but it’s vital that we address inequality, help build more social housing and tackle our air pollution with safer cycle and walk routes.”

“Like so many people, I’m terrified of what we’re doing to our planet. But the Greens have a serious plan. We need a Green New Deal to address climate breakdown, prioritise renewables, end airport expansion and deliver a better quality of life. Our planet needs people in power who recognise that we are living in a climate emergency and are dedicated to taking real action, not just saying the right words.”

Salah El-Din Wakie – Independent.

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The Enfield Independent were unable to obtain contact with Salah El-din Wakie, but on a campaign leaflet he wrote:

“I am a father of two young children, I have lived in Hornsey and Wood Green for over 25 years. I am disappointed and dismayed as you are when I see

- Crimes are up and many crimes are not even reported because nothing gets done right.

- Elderly people live in fear, in their homes.

- Betting shops infest the High Streets in Wood Green and Hornsey. They spoil our youngster’s future as they become addicted to gambling which leads to crimes to get the money to gamble

- Pollution is up in the area and nobody seems to care and that has a direct effect on the health of residents, especially the children and elderly people.

Hornsey and Wood Green constituency has been under Labour and Lib Dem control for many years. The current Labour MP has failed to do anything to help the community, or raise your concerns in Parliament, or keep the police stations open, or stop the infestation of betting shops, or use her influence to protect the local environment so that residents might breathe clean air.”