Honiton: ‘Ambulance waiting times keep me awake at night’ says by-election voter

With just over a week to go until the June 23 Tiverton and Honiton by-election, Nub News wants to speak to as many local voters as possible.

Nub News spoke to ex-teacher and mum of two Ella Weech (35). Ella lives on a family sheep farm in Upottery and she is looking forward to casting her vote next Thursday.

"This election is interesting! We're receiving a lot of literature and a lot of people are talking about it. There are people near me that have been canvassed for the first time ever, and it is Lib Dems calling people and knocking on doors.

"I know several people who are voting tactically this year and there is a great progressive campaign being run. But it will be extremely tight. I really don't know which party will win.

"We haven't seen much of Helen Hurford, but I'd like the chance to talk to her. It's great that she lives in Honiton."

Helen Hurford and Ella are both ex-teachers, and so Ella is particularly interested in Helen's views on cuts to education budgets that the Conservatives put into place. "How she can reconcile being a Conservative when, as a Head Teacher, she would have witnessed the cuts they were making first hand? She knows the damage it did to schools."

But it is the NHS which is Ella's biggest concern. She believes that this area has been neglected and left behind. "I really worry about the NHS down here. We live in the middle of nowhere, and I'm concerned about ambulance response times. If we had a real emergency, what would happen? You read about waiting times being the difference between life and death, and it keeps me awake at night.

"I have to travel a long way to take my children to an NHS dentist, and we were lucky to get on that list. I've got friends that travel even further than me. When I was pregnant I had issues with my teeth, but thankfully, because I was pregnant, it was covered by the NHS, otherwise I'd never have been able to afford to get them fixed. Then I would have four fewer teeth, which isn't ideal.

"I'd love to have another baby but when I gave birth to my last two in RD&E the nurses were so stretched and overworked, it didn't feel safe. So, increasing funding for the NHS is really important."

"I just want someone honest! Who won't say one thing and do something different. Someone with the constituent's best interests at heart."

The by-election will take place on June 23. Eight candidates are standing - Richard Foord for the Liberal Democrats, Helen Hurford for the Conservatives, Liz Pole for Labour, Gill Westcott for the Green Party, Ben Walker for the UK Independence Party, Jordan Donoghue-Morgan for the Heritage Party, Andy Foan for Reform UK and Frankie Rufolo for The For Britain Movement.

If you'd like to take part in by-election debate, please get in touch on [email protected]

Read more:

Introducing Honiton Nub News' People's Panel

Labour candidate plays down suggestions party is 'soft-pedalling' in Tiverton and Honiton by-election

Lib Dem by-election candidate Richard Foord becomes emotional as he talks about real poverty in Honiton

Honiton: Eight candidates are standing in by-election