General election: Candidates on how they would improve life in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough

Sheffield Brightside used to be a historic constituency as it was created in 1885 and it gave MPs until its eventual abolishment in 2010 when after a review Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough was created.

The area has been mostly a Labour stronghold and the last time it wasn’t a Labour politician winning here was in 1931 when the Conservatives’ Hamer Russell was elected.

In alphabetical order, the candidates standing in Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough are:

Maxine Bowler – Independent

Gill Furniss – Labour Party

Christine Gilligan Kubo – Green Party

Aaron Jacob – The Conservative Party

William Sapwell – Liberal Democrats

Jeremy Turner – Social Democratic Party

Mark Tyler – Workers Party – For Britain, For Gaza

So what are the candidates standing for?

Gill Furniss from the Labour Party said this: “My name is Gill Furniss and for the last eight years I have had the privilege of representing my home of Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough as your MP.

“I am once again asking for your support so that we can end 14 years of Tory rule and deliver a government that actually cares about areas like ours.

“I was born here, went to school here, and still live here. I know all too well the challenges that we face.

“Across Sheffield, families are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, our NHS is crumbling, and young people are locked out of home ownership. This cannot continue.

“Sheffield desperately needs the change that only a Labour government can deliver. If re-elected on July 4, I will continue to stand up for our constituency and ensure that we get our fair share – something the Tories have denied us for too long.

“Labour has a plan to get Britain moving in the right direction so that areas like Sheffield no longer get left behind. That is the choice on the 4th of July: more of the same under the Tories, or change with Labour.”

The Green Party is sending Christine Gilligan Kubo for July 4’s general election.

She had this to say: “I have been a councillor in Hillsborough ward since 2021 and I’m standing as the Green party candidate for the Brightside and Hillsborough constituency because I believe in social and economic justice, a state that works for us, protection of the environment and an ethical foreign policy.

“I will fight for public ownership of our utilities and for affordable, nationally owned public transport. I will support the building of more social housing and I will work to ensure the NHS remains publicly owned and free at the point of use.

“We are facing rampant climate change and species loss. I will put the climate at the heart of my actions, pushing for better home insulation, local renewable energy, and the lower bills and local jobs this will bring.

“Finally, I support the Palestinian people in Gaza and demand a full and immediate ceasefire. We need to find a peaceful solution to this awful situation.

“Before becoming a councillor I was a university lecturer researching sustainability and responsible business practice.

“I have been active in several voluntary groups, including Sheffield Renewables, which provides renewable energy for community buildings, and Friends of the Loxley Valley, which works to maintain the Loxley Valley as a green corridor.”

The Conservative Party’s Aaron Jacob told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “My dad’s family are from Cyprus. My late grandad came to the UK from Cyprus with nothing in the late 1940s, and he spoke no English. He started his own business and ended up employing over 70 people. I recall his stories of fighting to keep his business afloat in hard times.“My dad has also built a successful business. When he fell ill, I left a secure job in industry to join my family legal business.“I previously worked in industry on the project of building full-fibre broadband right across the UK, dealing with regulators, central and local government. I understand how critical connectivity is to our daily lives. I am now a solicitor, fighting for my clients every single day.“I have been a local councillor, fighting hard for residents on issues such as speeding, local crime and protecting green spaces. I was previously a trustee of a local museum, working with local businesses to promote the local area.“Coming from a small business background, I am particularly passionate about helping small businesses to grow, employ more people and succeed.”

William Sapwell from the Liberal Democrats is also standing to be your next MP.

But who is he? He said: “Will is a doctor, training to become a consultant cardiologist, with his central training base being the constituency’s Northern General Hospital. He moved to Sheffield in 2009 for medical school and made the city his home. He now teaches part-time at the university.

“His first experience in representation was as a union rep with the British Medical Association, the trade union for doctors, but he has since moved into politics as the solutions needed to fix our broken NHS are political, not just local.

“Will has been a political campaigner with the Lib Dems since 2016, and was elected a councillor for Stannington ward (which borders the constituency) in a by-election this January.

“He now sits on the adult health and social care committee of the council. Health policy is obviously of a particular importance to him, but having come from a policing family, Will is also very interested in home affairs and the welfare of police officers and community support officers.

“Outside of politics and work, he is a keen pub quizzer and plays badminton at Sheffield Forum Badminton Club.”

Maxine Bowler, Jeremy Turner and Mark Tyler did not respond before the deadline.