THE Conservative candidate for the new Earley and Woodley seat says she is delighted that the General Election has now been called.
On Thursday, May 22, Rishi Sunak stood outside 10 Downing Street to announce he had requested permission from the king to dissolve parliament and call the poll on July 4.
The party chose Wokingham Borough Council Conservative group leader Pauline Jorgensen to be on the ballot paper for the new Earley and Woodley constituency, which includes parts of Shinfield and Whitley.
This is the first time the seat has been contested, created from the Boundary Commission review, and takes part of the former Reading East seat, mixed with part of the former Wokingham seat.
As such, it is a target for both Labour and the Conservatives.
Mrs Jorgensen said: “I am delighted that the Prime Minister has called the General Election. I’ve been talking with people across the whole of the new constituency since the day I was selected as the Conservative Party candidate in June last year. I have also been active in the heart of the constituency, working to help residents, for the many years I have been a Borough Councillor.
“This is my home, and to serve the residents of Earley and Woodley in Parliament would be the highest honour.”
She continued: “I’m looking forward to supporting our community by standing up against unsustainable development; tackling anti-social behaviour and crime; reducing NHS waiting times; supporting better education for our kids; driving better economic development; and providing better quality public services.
“Indeed, yesterday (Wednesday) I was visiting the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading to discuss their plans for tackling waiting lists and driving innovation, including the new hospital build project, which is underway.
“It was the Conservative Party who developed the Long Term Plan, the Long Term Workforce Plan, and the Digital Plan for Health and Social Care. I look forward to championing their investment case for the new hospital. We are the party of the NHS.”
Mrs Jorgensen added: “Over the coming weeks, I’m excited to continue to talk with residents and to help Rishi Sunak deliver a brighter future for Earley & Woodley and for Britain.”
Also standing in the constituency are: Yuan Yang for Labour, Tahir Maher for the Lib Dems, Louise Keane for the Greens, and Malcolm Tullett for Reform UK.
