Labour parliamentary candidate for Milton Keynes South pledges 'real change'

Hannah O’Neill, who is fighting to overturn a Tory majority of 1,700 votes, said her party's general election manifesto offered a comprehensive, and hopeful future for Milton Keynes.

“As a working-class woman who is Milton Keyes through and through, I am thrilled that the Labour manifesto will deliver the transformative, hopeful and real change our communities so desperately need," she said.

"I grew up in council housing in our city and know how vital it is to the health, wellbeing and security of local people. That’s why, when I was the council cabinet member for housing, I was determined to see through plans to build the first council housing in our city in a generation.

"I would be thrilled and honoured to be part of the Labour government delivering 100,000 new council homes a year for our country. The scandal of the Tories stripping local people of a secure, healthy and affordable home will come to an end."

Hannah had previously stood as the Labour candidate at the 2017 General Election.

She went to St Paul’s school in Leadenhall and is currently director for the Milton Keynes Equality Council.

“I know what it’s like to work and struggle to make ends meet in MK. It doesn’t have to be that way.

"I know first-hand the difference our commitments to working families and women will make – increasing paid maternity leave to a full year, doubling paternity leave, a Sure Start centre in every community to support parents and children, a massive boost to free pre-school education of 30 hours a week for two, three and four-year olds and a huge boost for schools, meaning smaller class sizes and far more staff to care for and educate our children.

"And when our kids go off to university – we’re scrapping tuition fees and bringing back the maintenance grant so that all students can focus on the joy of learning without worrying about generating a mountain of debt.

“Of course there’s no greater boost for the security and prosperity of families than protecting our planet – I want the best possible future for my two beautiful children and all young people in MK. That’s why we are going to take radical action to get the UK carbon neutral and we’re shooting for doing that by 2030 – but in a bold, positive and progressive way that creates a million good, skilled jobs for our people.

“As someone who uses the NHS in MK and recently gave birth in our local hospital, I know this manifesto will deliver the support that our amazing NHS staff so desperately needs. And I know how important it is for all families in MK that people are able to grow old with dignity and security and the £8bn of Tory cuts in this area are a national scandal.

"That’s why our plan for creating a National Care Service is vital: free personal care, a boost in the Carer’s Allowance for unpaid full-time carers and a commitment to greatly reducing the cost burden of paying for care.”