General Election 2024: What Northampton South candidates said about important issues in the area

This newspaper reached out to all seven of the candidates battling for the MP seat in Northampton South. We asked them all the same four questions about big issues affecting their constituency area.

The seat is the only one of the four West Northamptonshire constituencies where the current MP will stand in this election. Andrew Lewer currently holds the seat and he will be representing the Conservatives once again, however long-standing Conservatives in all of the other three constituencies – Dame Andrea Leadsom, Chris Heaton-Harris and Michael Ellis - have stood down ahead of this election.

So, if you are yet to decide who to vote for on Thursday July 4 – here is what some of the candidates said about each of the issues.

(Each candidates’ response is below each question. They are listed in alphabetical order, as per surname).

Climate party candidate Penelope Tollitt has not responded. Should answers be provided, they will be added into the article.

What plans will you implement to combat the housing crisis in Northampton? How will you bring more affordable housing to Northampton residents?

Jill Hope – Liberal Democrat candidate

• Increase building of new homes to 380,000 a year including 150,000 social homes
• Provide a fair deal for renters banning no-fault evictions, making three-year tenancies the default and creating a national register of licensed landlords
• Abolish residential leaseholds and cap ground rents
• Give local authorities the powers to end Right to Buy in their areas
• Tackle the funding crisis facing local authorities boosting the supply of social housing

Andrew Lewer – Conservative candidate

Locally, I have acted in support of more and better housing in Northampton, notably through my close relationship with Northamptonshire Partnership Homes and support for their planned investment programme for local affordable housing. Nationally, the Conservative party manifesto pledges 1,600,000 new homes in the next Parliament and requires land to be set aside to support local small and medium sized housebuilders. There will also be an improved Help to Buy scheme for first time buyers and a permanently higher Stamp Duty threshold, easing the tax burden on those looking to buy a home.

Anthony Owens – Reform UK candidate

The United Kingdom population has increased by 1.3 million in just two years. Unfortunately, only 425,000 homes have been built. The forecast of population growth of nearly seven million between 2021 and 2036, putting massive pressure on the current housing market.

We would look to incentivise use of new construction technology to create more affordable homes.

New advancements in modular construction have shown that homes can be built cheaper and quicker than traditional houses. Those reduced costs can then be passed onto the purchaser.

Cutting residential stamp duty to 0 percent below £750,000 would potentially save costs on purchasing a property.

Mike Reader – Labour candidate

Living in Northampton, I see firsthand the impact of housing crisis on my neighbours. Labour will tackle Northampton's housing crisis head-on. We'll reform planning laws so we can build 1.5 million homes during the next Parliament, including the biggest boost in affordable homes for a generation, and requiring developers to include more affordable homes. We'll help young first-time buyers with a new mortgage guarantee scheme and prioritising them for new homes. For renters, we'll bring in new rights, end unfair evictions, and help challenge unreasonable rent hikes. I'll champion affordable housing for Northampton and work tirelessly to ensure local people's housing needs are met.

Katie Simpson – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate

• Build council homes to meet need – take over empty properties - end right to buy
• Ban no-fault evictions, secure tenancies for all
• Rent control that caps rent. Fair rent decisions should be made by elected bodies of tenants, housing workers and representatives of trade unions
• Immediately fund remedial measures for all unsafe homes
• Ensure quality homes - introduce compulsory licensing of all landlords. Take big homebuilders into democratic public ownership to ensure quality and safety
• For affordable mortgages – nationalise the banks to be run under democratic workers’ control and management

Simon Sneddon – Green candidate

The Housing Strategy (which the Conservative-controlled WNC approved in 2022), runs until 2025. Since the evidence for that strategy was collated in 2022, the average house price has risen marginally (under 0.5 percent) but the average rental price has increased significantly (about 13 percent). The Green party will give WNC (West Northamptonshire Council) the power to impose rent controls on the private rental sector, curbing any excessive rent rises. We will also increase social housing nationwide by 150,000 homes a year, (including bringing back into use houses that are currently standing empty), and end no-fault evictions.

Do you have any plans to put forward a motion to amend planning laws so communities have a greater say on what is being approved and rejected in their areas?

Jill Hope – Liberal Democrat candidate

• Properly fund local planning departments
• Extend Neighbourhood Planning across England giving local communities far more say
• Trial Community Land Auctions so local communities receive a fair share of the benefits of new developments in their areas
• Enhance powers over community assets to help local authorities protect pubs, community farms and other vital infrastructure
• Ensure local authorities have the powers and resources they need to tackle climate and nature emergencies

Andrew Lewer – Conservative candidate

Currently, obtaining planning permission for new homes is taking too long and needs better and simpler, rather than more, regulation around it. I was (and would be in the future) an advocate for the radical planning reforms proposed, but not proceeded with, under the last government that would have simplified planning into a zonal type system more like they have in The Netherlands. This also gives more protection to green spaces and areas valued by the community. The new Infrastructure Levy should also ensure facilities come along with, not years after, the building of new developments, which is my primary concern about Labour’s mega-towns proposals.

Anthony Owens – Reform UK candidate

There is an urgent need to review the current planning system to fast track planning and tax incentives of brownfield sites to include vacant properties. Whilst ensuring infrastructure is there to support increase in housing.

Mike Reader – Labour candidate

Labour has plans to give local communities more of a voice in planning decisions. As someone who has worked in construction for my entire career, I know first hand how broken planning regulations are. Our manifesto commits to reforming the planning system to help us build the affordable homes we need while ensuring communities can shape development. We'll update the National Planning Policy Framework and take steps to ensure local authorities have up-to-date local plans that reflect community input. Where necessary, we won't hesitate to use our powers to intervene to ensure the homes communities need are built. I'll work to amplify Northampton residents' voices in local planning decisions.

Katie Simpson – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate

Absolutely. In fact, most constituents don't even know they can have a say. Most constituents feel unheard. As a socialist I believe in democratically organised planning of towns and cities. Northampton was and continues to be built and developed by working class people yet it is not meeting their needs. Work has been carried out at a long-term cost due to the use of private finance initiatives. Not only should all decisions be made democratically by the people of Northampton but works undertaken by publicly owned construction services.

Simon Sneddon – Green candidate

The Green party plans to amend planning laws to give communities more control over what gets approved or rejected in their areas. We would not consider a consultation sent out to the wrong street to be valid, for example. We aim to transform the planning system, and give local authorities and communities the power and resources to act as guardians of the land and built environment. This includes setting viability levels for development, ending subsequent negotiations with developers, and investing in public building inspectors to ensure safety and quality in housing.

How do you plan to tackle the homelessness issue in Northampton town centre and the surrounding areas? How will you help the unhoused community with the support they need?

Jill Hope – Liberal Democrat candidate

• Scrap the archaic Vagrancy Act
• Publish a plan to end all forms of homelessness within the next Parliament
• Introduce a ‘somewhere safe to stay’ legal duty to provide emergency accommodation
• Ensuring sufficient financial resources for local authorities to deliver the Homelessness Reduction Act and provide accommodation for survivors of domestic abuse
• Exempting groups of homeless people, and those at risk of homelessness, from the Shared Accommodation Rate, which restricts them to a single room in a shared house

Andrew Lewer – Conservative candidate

I have worked closely with the providers of shelter and support for the homeless during my time as MP for Northampton South, especially with The Hope Centre, Spencer Contact and local food banks, and recently convened and chaired a homelessness summit for local stakeholders. Although Covid was a truly terrible time, it did show what could be achieved in getting the homeless accommodated. Therefore, I will keep pressing the importance of the Conservative party’s commitment to end rough sleeping, restated in the manifesto, and to do so via a “housing first” approach, as advocated by the Centre for Social Justice.

Anthony Owens – Reform UK candidate

I would suggest engagement with already existing services such as the Hope Centre, food and hygiene outreach groups, job training, affordable housing, mental health services and community involvement. It’s crucial to involve those who have experienced homelessness and coordinate efforts between various service providers.

I would look to those with experience for specific strategies to support and promote.

Mike Reader – Labour candidate

I will tackle homelessness head-on, working with national charities, Shelter and Crisis, and local partners, Hope Centre and Shine Development CIC. The last Labour government made huge strides in reducing homelessness, but the Conservatives have shamefully allowed it to rise again. Rough sleeping and hidden homelessness have increased. We will develop a new cross-government strategy to put Northampton back on track to ending homelessness. I'll work with local partners to ensure the unhoused community can access food, shelter, hygiene facilities, employment support and housing. And we'll address the root causes by building more affordable homes and improving renters' rights. I'll be a strong local voice for the compassionate, comprehensive approach.

Katie Simpson – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate

I worked with the Northampton Homeless Treatment Team. The problems are obvious to me. Services are separately run, funded and organised with different restrictions and processes. They must work collaboratively or be brought into democratic public ownership. We should scrap the current rough-sleeping verification process. Anyone seen to be rough-sleeping once is to be treated as street homeless and provided with support from properly staffed, fully-funded services. For mass building of specialised council properties including good, appropriately run refuges for vulnerable women. We need safe using spaces for people struggling with drug addiction and to stop criminalising homelessness.

Simon Sneddon – Green candidate

I would work to do this in several ways. The Green Party aims to provide 150,000 new social homes annually, end 'right to buy,' and empower local authorities to introduce rent controls and end no-fault evictions. We will ensure warm, safe homes through the Fairer, Greener Homes Guarantee, which includes significant investments in home insulation and heating systems. Additionally, we support funding for community hubs such as the Hope Centre, NAASH and the Emergency Homeless Nightshelter which do such an excellent job in offering food, shelter, hygiene, and employment services to the unhoused community, emphasising a compassionate approach to social support.

How will you continue to support the community of businesses, particularly independents, to help the economy thrive? How will you make Northampton an area people see as worthy of investment?

Jill Hope – Liberal Democrat candidate

• Ensuring that gigabit broadband is available to every business including in rural and remote communities
• Fix the skills crisis by investing in education and training, increasing apprenticeships.
• Help SMEs by abolishing business rates and replacing them with a Commercial Landowner Levy to help our high streets
• Incentivise businesses to invest in new technologies and create good jobs
• Support local and regional economic partnerships to co-ordinate development projects and boost growth in Northampton
• Work with the major banks to fund a local banking sector dedicated to meeting the needs of local small and medium-sized businesses

Andrew Lewer – Conservative candidate

Meeting with and understanding local businesses of every shape and size across Northampton has been at the heart of my work as an MP. I campaigned hard for the £37 million of national funding Northampton has received for town centre regeneration, which will only be a success because of vibrant local businesses and via investment in people and skills. I founded and chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group for SME housebuilders and I strongly back the ten point plan for SMEs in the Conservative party manifesto, notably enforcement of the Prompt Payment Code and a huge reduction in red tape/reporting requirements.

Anthony Owens – Reform UK candidate

Free small and medium businesses in Northamptonshire from corporation tax. Lift the minimum profit threshold to £100,000 and cut corporation tax rate from 25 percent to 20 percent and eventually in three years to 15 percent. Lift the VAT threshold to £150,000.

Abolish businesses rates on the high street based Small and Medium sized Enterprise's.

Support sole traders who were previously flourishing in Northamptonshire by removing the IR35 rule.

Free up businesses from red tape.

Mike Reader – Labour candidate

I've already started to work with the like of Brackmills BID and our local chamber of commerce, to understand and support businesses in Northampton. Labour’s plans for economic growth, including reform of business rates and introducing local banking hubs will boost our high streets. I will be a vocal champion for making Northampton an attractive destination for new employers. Our plans to devolve power and funding out of Westminster and into communities like ours will give us the tools to pursue growth, create jobs and improve living standards across Northampton.

Katie Simpson – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate

Rent caps should apply to business properties also, no more empty lots on our high streets. Any business struggling in the cost of living crisis should be subsidised based on proven need or taken into public ownership like Olympus Care was in 2018. For businesses in Northampton to thrive they need customers. The cost of living crisis means people have less money and less time to spend at local shops, restaurants and services. I will fight alongside trade unions to improve wages and working conditions for all.

Simon Sneddon – Green candidate

To support independent businesses and help Northampton's economy thrive, the Green party plans to establish regional mutual banks to drive investment in local enterprises, including SMEs and community-owned cooperatives. We will provide £2 billion per year in grants to help businesses decarbonize and explore legal ways for companies to transform into mutual organisations. Additionally, we will promote local food enterprises, invest in community sports, arts, and culture, and improve public transport, making the area more attractive for investment, and offering real hope and real change for Northampton.

Articles, similar to this one, for the remaining constituency in West Northamptonshire will be published on this newspaper’s website in the coming week. Here is the Daventry and South Northamptonshire versions.