Sam Rushworth has been selected as the Labour candidate for Tatton in this year's snap election on June 8th.
Sam, 33, grew up in Blackpool attending local state schools, before studying economics at the University of Manchester.
He moved to Wilmslow in 2006 when he married Siobhain, shortly afterwards they bought a home together at Colshaw Farm. They have a son and two daughters who attend Wilmslow Academy and another daughter at nursery school.
Sam runs a small business that provides research and consultancy services to academics, charities and foreign governments working on education, peace-building and human rights issues. He previously worked as a lecturer at Macclesfield College and an associate tutor at the University of East Anglia.
Sam has also worked as a senior manager in the British Red Cross covering Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Cheshire; managed youth-clubs for children and young people with disabilities; and worked in community development for Stockport CVS. In 2012 they moved to Rwanda, where he spent two years teaching at a secondary school to collect data for his PhD research in Education and International Development.
Sam's says his promises for Tatton are:
1. Clean up our politics: Too often in so-called "safe seats" like Tatton, which always vote the same way, MPs take their constituents for granted. In Tatton we've had Neil Hamilton and his 'cash for questions' and George Osborne, with is miss-claimed expenses, second home flipping to avoid capital gains tax, and multiple jobs. If I am elected, I promise the people of Tatton that I will always live locally; be prudent with my expenses; publish my diary so my work for them is transparently full-time; and not take on any other paid work.
2. Protect local services against cuts: I will defend our local services, campaigning to keep the 378 bus route; standing firm against the planned downgrade of the Macclesfield A&E unit; and fighting cuts to our fire service, NHS and school budgets.
3. Back local businesses: As a business director myself, I understand the value of small business to our local economy and the struggles many face. I will fight for new rules to help local businesses flourish, including: scrapping quarterly reporting, cracking down on late payments, easing access to credit with new investment banks, and cutting business rates. I also believe in the active role of the state in backing our bigger employers. I will also fight for inwards investment and support local employers.
4. Create high-skilled jobs for the future: I will fight for Britain to stay ahead in a changing world by investing in education, infrastructure, research and innovation, and retaining the trade benefits of membership of the European Single Market.
5. Get a better deal for workers: Though I have been fortunate to go to some good universities, coming from a humble background I have also worked as a waiter, cleaner, shop assistant, and garden labourer. I have never considered those jobs beneath me, or any of us, but too often we fail to properly reward such workers. At the core of my politics is a belief that anybody who rolls up their sleeves and puts in an honest day of work should be paid enough to provide a decent standard of living for their families, but since the 1970s, ordinary workers have received a smaller and smaller share of the profits they create. I will fight for a £10 living wage and I will stop the Tories using Brexit as a cover to cut workers rights.
6. Give every pensioner a secure and happy retirement: Like everyone, I want my parents, who have worked so hard for me, to be able to retire in comfort and security. Labour is the party for pensioners. We introduced pension credit, winter fuel payments and free bus passes. The Tories plan to break the triple lock on pensions and have left social care in crisis. Labour will invest in universal social care and guarantee pensions keep up with inflation.
7. Back the next generation: The 2010 Tory/LibDem government hammered our young people. They scrapped Child Trust Funds, which are a proven driver of social mobility; cut SureStart despite promising not to; slashed youth service and FE college budgets; stopped Educational Maintenance Allowance payments that were helping young people from poorer homes afford the costs of attending college; and tripled university tuition fees. Now the Tories want to take funding from our local schools. I will make tackling child poverty and opening up opportunity for our young people my personal mission, and I will vote to increase school funding, bring back the maintenance allowance and cut tuition fees.
Sam Rushton will go up against the Liberal Democrats' candidate Gareth Wilson, Conservative candidate Esther McVey and Nigel Hennerley who has been selected to stand as Green Party candidate.
At the time of publication we are unaware of any other candidates who need to submit their application by Wednesday May 11th.
Articles announcing the other candidates standing in the General Election on June 8th will all be tagged below 'General Election 2017'.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
But in his point 7 above, there is no mention of his party's opposition to both grammar schools (another 'driver of social mobility') and private schools.
Nor does he mention his party's leader; a sensitive topic?
Of course he doesn't mention the Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn ........ you wouldn't deliberately shoot yourself in the foot, would you ?
With Corbyn as Leader, most Labour voters know they ain't got a chance !
In fact, he is a total and utter disaster ......
Maybe Diane Abbott will stand as leader next time ?
Maybe she's not as strong and stable as she likes to make out.
Labour look likely to receive support from just "The few, rather than the many!"
re. fox hunting. I've never done it and have no feelings in particular either way. If folk wish to wear bright coloured clothes and gallop around parts of the countryside (where they have permission of course) shouting obscure calls, then so be it.
But a free vote is sort-of democratic is it not?
As to the Christian bit: could you point me to any pertinent reference in the Bible?
Perhaps it would be pertinent to ask farmers for their view of removing what I believe they see as a pest? If you do agree that a fox is a pest, what might be your choice of method of 'removing' them?
In it she kindly tells us a little bit about herself and she rounded of with three pledges.......
* That she will live in the constituency.
* That she will hold regular surgeries
* That she will send email updates to us (providing we let the Tatton Conservative office have our email details.)
Now whilst I'm prepared to accept that on these three points (at least) she scores higher than her predecessor, and whilst Tatton can usually be relied upon to return a Tory candidate without too much kerfuffle, couldn't she perhaps humour us with (at least) the pretence that she has policies that might add something to local life?
did you recieve one of the shiny cards as well? On it Esther gave a number where she can be reached and is willing to engage in a question and answer bit with anyone.
Yours Aye,
A Minion.
p.s. she's already moved into the constituancy (into Knutsford to be exact).
p.p.s. as to contributing to local life, Esther is asking people to tell her what she should get stuck into; now there's a difference from Mr. C's centralised, the-party-knows-best approach ? Are his mob going to nationalise Alderley Edge ?
Nope, May is running scared for certain - she ruled out a TV debate as soon as it was first mentioned, then Corbyn refused to debate only with the minor party leaders. He wants to take her on head to head but she's not up for it.
And Alan Brough, good point about not wasting valuable Brexit negotiating time. Probably worth pointing out she has completely wasted 8 weeks by calling a general election though . . .
No I wasn't given one of Esther's platinum privilege cards that (no doubt) offers access to the inner sanctum.
I'm not into gimmicks and chicanery.
As a disenfranchised Conservative voter I just want to re-engage with the party and feel that (finally) there is someone WORKING for us who is worthy of a vote.
Sadly, all I see is people like you who are prepared to colour everything blue with ne'er a thought for the consequences and, like many others, I can't accept that.
I have reluctantly arrived at a point where I feel that most politicians (and certainly all mainstream politicians) are either bent or stupid and they are unworthy of a vote.
As a business person this saddens me because my business, more than many others, will be hugely impacted by this fools parade - but I cant be bothered anymore to try and pick through what might be the least worst option.
Better and more expedient to consider them for what they are - irrelevant nonsense.
One thing that I wouldn't want the next Government to do is introduce four additional Public Holidays on the four Saints days.
Bank and public holidays are hugely disruptive to business productivity and, coming at a time when the nation HAS to become more productive, we need this like the proverbial hole in the head!
If Jezza wants to reward hard working people, let him introduce a mandatory minimum number of holidays for staff - but don't bring the country to a grinding halt.
I wonder if you have issues with late payments from larger firms? We're planning to tackle this, as well as easing credit through investment banks. Anyway, I wish you luck.
1. the card to which I refer is not of course a privilege card; it is a small 6 x 3 card giving details of how to contact Esther. You may not have got one, as there were, to save money, only a limited number printed. If there's an inner sanctum, no-one's invited me !
Shall we rendevous in the park, and I'll give you your very own, hand-delivered one (as a Tory, can I do fairer?).
2. Why would you doubt that Esther will work for you? She is already bombing around the constituancy asking people what they want.
3. Why would you say that I 'colour everything blue' ? I'm hurt that you think I do not consider consequences; advance evidence please.
4. You write of problems with your business. Does that include a reduced footfall due to clients having a lack of parking? I know other business peopie in the village say that.
May I remind you that the latest proposal to build a car park is pretty much what 'the blues' put forward a couple of years ago!
Esther is about to (or already has) invite members of the A.E. business comunity to meet with her to tell her their problems directly.
5. If you truly believe that all politicians are either 'bent or stupid, then do what I did a few years back and get up off your ass and stand for election. Its quite painless !
Are you sure that your dis-satisfaction and testyness isn't actually agreable to you?
Hi Ho, soon be the 8th. Then one way or the other, someone can 'get on with it'.