ELECTION 2015: Get to know the candidates who want to be the next Wimbledon MP

There are 149,712 registered electors across the whole borough, and of that total 131,124 are eligible to vote in the General Election as European citizens are not entitled to cast a vote.

For the Wimbledon constituency in 2010, Stephen Hammond received 23,257 votes, with second place Liberal Democrat Shas Sheehan totalling 11,849 and Labour's Andrew Judge coming in third with 10,550 votes.

All three will go head-to-head again this year. 

Here are your Wimbledon candidates:

 

Name: Andrew Judge

Party: Labour

DOB: 11/09/1962

Town of residence (and how long have you lived there): Merton since 1994: in Wimbledon and Mitcham.

Hobbies/interests: I am a beekeeper with four hives that I share with my ‘bee partner’ and provide me increasing pleasure and interest.

I love walking in the country and visiting historical buildings. I tend to cycle around Merton and I am an avid reader of political, military and medieval history.

Biography (including profession/marital status/number of children): I have worked for twenty years as a criminal barrister for both the prosecution and defence, working mainly in London and the south east.

My chambers are in Sussex. I am married to Linda and we have been together for eighteen years. I have no children, but thoroughly enjoy being a step-grandfather of three.

Political history (previous constituencies where you have stood, the year, and the result): 2010: Wimbledon 10,550 votes (Third position)

Personal statement: It would be an honour and a privilege to be elected MP for Wimbledon including Morden and Raynes Park.

I would be a dedicated representative of local people fighting for their interests without fear or favour. I would work hard on your behalf and act with integrity. I believe that being a modern MP should be a full time vocation for five years and guarantee that I would not take a second job, or any other position that would distract from the role of representing the constituency.

I have been a Merton councillor for twenty years and done much for the borough including: leading Merton Council from a weak position towards excellence from 2001-6, putting in place effective business management and corporate leadership, improving the full range of local council services, inventing the famous Merton Rule to insist on on-site renewable energy in new developments, leading recent improvement schemes in Merton High Street, Wimbledon town centre and Raynes Park and planning a transformation of Morden.

As your MP, I would do my utmost to continue to advance the prospects for this constituency.

Local people need an effective champion and that is what I would strive to be.

• What is your motto/philosophy for life?

Live each day as well as you can.

• Which person, dead or alive, do you most admire?

Robert Kennedy

• What is your greatest fear?

Falling from a great height.

• What trait do you most admire in others?

Courage.

• What’s the worst job you’ve ever done?

Tearing waste cardboard in a cardboard box factory.

• What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Improving Merton Council from a position of weakness to one of strength.

• Everyone has a skeleton in their closet. What’s yours?

As a 16 year old, I was a Conservative but have been moving to the left ever since.

• As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A barrister.

• What do you eat for breakfast?

Unhealthy fried food or if I’m good: muesli!

• What do you love / hate most about your proposed constituency?

I love the restaurants and cafes, but would like to see far more independent businesses in the centre.

• What is first on your list to change / do if elected?

Work through partnership agreements between the Council and the NHS to secure the integration of health and social care.

• What’s your favourite TV programme?

Grand Designs!

Name: Charles Barraball

Party: Green

DOB: 1942 

Town of residence (and how long have you lived there): Wimbledon, for 40 odd years.

Political history (previous constituencies where you have stood, the year, and the result): None (though as a council candidate in West Barnes Ward I attracted votes) Hobbies/interests: Living life to its full potential.

Biography including profession, marital status and number of children: Building procurement; widower; four ( Plus six grandchildren)

Charles is a long-time campaigner on local issues in Merton, particularly around the issues of road safety, public health and disability rights, and is looking forward to hearing the views of the people of Wimbledon. Charles is retired and previously worked in building procurement.

He has four children and six grandchildren.

Recently Charles has been actively campaigning against the cuts to Merton Council's Adult Social Care budget, which he says will disproportionately affect the borough's most vulnerable citizens.

Personal statement I'll press for fairer policies for rents and housing supply, a fairer taxation structure, and an end to the creeping privatisation of the health service. Above all I will be campaigning for a sustainable future and for the common good. Vote for policies you want your society to have, not personalities, and you'll vote Green.

• What is your motto/philosophy for life? A liveable planet.

• Which person, dead or alive, do you most admire? Baroness Jones of Moulscomb

• What is your greatest fear?

Fear itself.

• What trait do you most admire in others? Honesty.

• What’s the worst job you’ve ever done? Nothing.

• What do you consider your greatest achievement? The next breath.

• Everyone has a skeleton in their closet. What’s yours?

That I've only now imagined the possibility of a better political structure.

• As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Sailor.

• What do you eat for breakfast? Cereal and a croissant at Bon Bonnie's • What do you love / hate most about your proposed constituency?

I don't do hate. I love the possibilities of change for the better.

• What is first on your list to change / do if elected? Care, more.

• What’s your favourite TV programme? Wolf Hall.

Name: Peter Bucklitsch

Party: UKIP

DOB: 30-01-1949

Town of residence (and how long have you lived there): Crowborough (and area – about 30 years)

Political history (previous constituencies where you have stood, the year, and the result): 1994 Wealden District Council – won. 1999 – Lost 2003 – lost on tied vote draw. 2011 lost 1994, 1999 Mayfield Parish Council won 2003 Crowborough Town Council - won Hobbies/interests: Golf, skiing, cycling, walking (lots of this recently!), motorbikes, clay pigeon shooting (or more often – not!). Politics, politics and politics.

Biography (including profession/marital status/number of children): Started working life as an accountant, moved into computers selling multi-user systems firstly with CDOS and then Unix.

We also installed RS232 cable systems and wired and wireless Ethernet LAN networks. Drom 1990 II also specialised in electronic record management systems. Following heart surgery in 2001 I had a spell as property developer, followed by five years as a joiner. Divorced with two children and two granddaughters.

Personal statement: UKIP has brought attention to the problems created by Labour and Conservative/Lib Dem governments in their drive for political union with the European Union (Socialist) State. Not least of these are uncontrolled movement of labour (1,300,000 NI numbers issued to migrants in last 2 years), skilled and unskilled, the cost of membership (£14 billion yearly), recently increased as a result of our economic success and excessive bureaucracy restricting our businesses.

Of increasing importance is the dilapidated state of our Armed Forces. We lack ships, aircraft, pilots and army personnel. Unsurprisingly Argentina is gearing up for another invasion.

UKIP offers positive policies for the people of the UK. The party doesn’t operate a whip which means that my primary focus as an MP is to represent Wimbledon.

Locally I totally support excellence in Education and the NHS.

UKIP NHS policy is:

• Protect frontline services from cuts 

• Roll back excess bureaucracy

• Save £2 Billion by ending health tourism

• Make health insurance mandatory for visitors and immigrants

• Open In-demand GP surgeries in the evenings.

• No cuts and free at the point of delivery.

Additionally I would reduce sales of training places to overseas students in Nursing and Medical Doctor courses, and expand these to fulfil properly planned future needs for our own country rather than denude developing nations of their sorely needed medical staff.

Name Stephen Hammond

Party: Conservative

DOB 04/02/1962

Town of Residence: I have lived in Wimbledon for fifteen years

Hobbies/ Interests: Hockey/Tennis, reading, cooking

Biography: For the last ten years I have had the honour to be MP for Wimbledon and prior to being elected as MP I was a councillor for Village ward.

Sally and I have been married for 24 years and our daughter Alice is at Bristol University.

We have lived in Wimbledon Park for the last 15 years along with Jasper, a black Cocker Spaniel and Archie, a rescue cat.

I was born in Southampton and educated at King Edward V1 School and University of London.

Personal Statement: It has been a privilege to serve as your Member of Parliament for the last ten years and to have been able to help thousands of local people.

I have campaigned on a huge range of local issues including stopping the Labour Council shut Merton Adult Education, improvements to the District Line and other local transport and anti-litter.

I have started a “Vision for Wimbledon , Raynes Park and Morden” and held public meetings to ensure our area gets the change we need and remains a wonderful place to live.

Five years ago Labour crashed our economy but now in 2015 more people in Wimbledon have a job than ever before, a thousand new apprenticeships have been created, living standards are rising and most people have seen their tax bills decline. Locally the Nelson Hospital has been rebuilt and opened, education standards are rising and transport has seen investment.

So on May 7 the choice is clear, a vote for Stephen Hammond is a vote for a local MP who will work for you and a vote for the Conservatives is a vote for an economy delivering jobs and fairer taxes, better public services and to create a Britain as a land of opportunity for all our citizens.

What is your motto/philosophy for life?

Never give up

Which person dead or alive do you most admire?

Winston Churchill

What is your greatest fear?

I have a nightmare that Ed Miliband is the PM

What is the trait you most admire in others?

Perseverance

What is the worst job you have ever done?

I had a vacation job cleaning train carriages

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Being elected as Member of Parliament for Wimbledon.

Everyone has a skeleton in their closet. What’s yours?

I was always told never to trust a journalist with a secret.

As a child , what did you want to be when you grew up?

A tennis player or a barrister

What do you eat for breakfast?

A boiled egg or a piece of fruit

What do you love or hate about your proposed constituency?

Besides being a great place to live, bring up a family and work, Wimbledon has a huge number of generous people who volunteer in so many ways to help others and make our area a great place.

What is on your list to change/do?

I will campaign to implement my “Vision for Wimbledon, Raynes Park and Morden” ideas.

I will continue to use all my abilities and efforts to represent everyone in Wimbledon if I have the honour to be re-elected.

What is your favourite TV programme?

All crime and detective programmes, Borgen and Eight out of Ten Cats play Countdown.

Name: Shas Sheehan

Party: Liberal Democrat

DOB: 29.07.59

Town of residence (and how long have you lived there): Putney, 10 years

Political history (previous constituencies where you have stood, the year, and the result): 2006-2010 - Councillor in Richmond for Kew ward.

2010 – I stood for Wimbledon, overtook Labour and came second.

Hobbies/interests: Walking, reading, cooking, watching birds in my garden.

Biography: I’m married with three children, the youngest of which has just started university. Patrick and I are looking forward to celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary later this year.

I graduated with a 2.1 in Chemistry from UCL. Followed several years later with a Masters in Environmental Technology at Imperial College, which I passed with distinction.

I have been a Chemistry teacher, an auxiliary nurse, and a full time mum.

As head of office to Susan Kramer, when she was MP for Richmond Park, I saw for myself the difference a dedicated constituency MP could make to the lives of her constituents.

Sometimes when people come up against the system they need someone who is prepared to take up the cudgels on their behalf. That, and my experience as a councillor for Kew convinced me that as an MP I could make a difference to the lives of local people.

I serve as a trustee on the board of the local Citizen’s Advice Bureau in Morden, I’m Chair of the Wimbledon Cancer Friendship Group and a founding member of the 20’s Plenty for Merton group.

I’m a member of Amnesty International, The RSPB and the London Wildlife Trust.

Personal statement: I am not a professional politician.

My life experience includes teaching, nursing and local, voluntary charity work. I understand the importance of good quality public services and have respect for the professionals who deliver them.

Another driving force in my life has been protecting our environment for future generations.

This is why I will fight hard to:

• Protect local NHS services

• Oppose cuts to Merton Adult Education services and daycentres for the elderly

• Improve our urban environment by looking after roads and pavements better.

However, although I am driven by a wish to make the world a better place, I was put off politics by the poor reputation of some MPs.

So, I would like to make a contract with you that if elected as your MP I will never abuse my position to feather my own nest.

I will never employ family members and pay them out of the public purse.

I will not take any other paid job whilst I am your MP. I will never seek to avoid paying my full share of taxes.

I would love to put my skills and ethics to work for you as I champion our local area. Please vote for me.

• What is your motto/philosophy for life?

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you and Live and let live

• Which person, dead or alive, do you most admire?

Nelson Mandela

• What is your greatest fear?

Climate change

• What trait do you most admire in others?

Honesty

• What’s the worst job you’ve ever done?

Chambermaid in a San Francisco hotel

• What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Bringing up three lovely children

• Everyone has a skeleton in their closet. What’s yours?

Sorry to disappoint but I can’t immediately think of one.

• As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A doctor

• What do you eat for breakfast?

Scrambled eggs

• What do you love / hate most about your proposed constituency?

I love our green and open spaces and hate that our streets are disfigured with litter.

• What is first on your list to change / do if elected?

To restore daycentres for the elderly and people living with dementia and set up a steering group to look at setting up Adult education classes along similar lines to SCOLA in Sutton.

• What’s your favourite TV programme?

Strictly Come Dancing.

Make sure you are registered to vote. The deadline is April 20. Visit the Merton Council webite to register.