General Election 2019: The candidates for Wantage and Didcot

We continue our series of features profiling the candidates with a look at the Wantage and Didcot constituency.

The candidates for the Wantage constituency are David Johnston (Conservative), Richard Benwell (Liberal Democrats), Jonny Roberts (Labour) and independent Mark Gray.

The Conservatives

David Johnston.

Conservative candidate David Johnston was selected by the local Conservative association after the previous MP Ed Vaizey announced he would not be running as a candidate in this election.

Mr Johnston lives in London and is the former chief executive of the Social Mobility Foundation, which he led for a decade.

He is also a former member of Parliament’s Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission.

On his announcement as candidate earlier this month, he said: “I am delighted to have been elected to be the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Wantage and Didcot.

“I look forward to working with the association and getting out, knocking on doors and speaking to voters across the constituency.

“This election campaign is the most important in a generation, and I am honoured to be your candidate”.

The Labour Party

Jonny Roberts (right), Wantage candidate for the Labour Party.

Labour candidate Jonny Roberts has previously stood as a parliamentary candidate for Newbury in 2015.

The 32-year-old grew up in Aylesbury and now lives in Newbury with his wife and children.

His campaign website says he has ‘worked since the age of 15, starting out on checkouts in the local Sainsbury’s’, and that he studied film and video at the University of Wales, Newport, before moving to Newbury for work.

Mr Roberts was involved in the cross-party Stronger In campaign and Labour’s IN campaign during the 2016 EU referendum.

He said: “I’ve always been passionate believer of Britain’s place being in the European Union. I’m proud that Labour are promising a final say for the people via a public vote and if we get into power, I have pledged to campaign for Remain.”

READ MORE about candidates in the 2019 general election from across Oxfordshire here:

• The general election candidates for Oxford East
• The general election candidates for Oxford West and Abingdon
• The general election candidates for Witney
• The general election candidates for Henley
• The general election candidates for Banbury

The Liberal Democrats

Richard Benwell.

The Liberal Democrat candidate is Richard Benwell.

Mr Benwell has lived in Great Coxwell for 10 years with his wife, a vet, and his son.

He currently works at the chief executive for Wildlife and Countryside Link, an environmental charity.

When announced as the candidate in September, he said he would aim to be the 'greenest MP in Parliament' if successful.

He added: "I want to refocus attention on what really matters: building a greener, fairer economy and a just society, and taking strong national and international action to stop climate change.”

Independent: Mark Gray

Mark Gray.

Independent candidate Mark Gray is currently an Oxfordshire county councillor for Benson and Cholsey ward.

Mr Gray was a social worker before becoming involved in local politics as a councillor.

He said he has always wanted to stand as an MP, and saw Ed Vaizey’s decision to stand aside as a chance for someone else who is already known in local politics to fill the seat.

Mr Gray said: “I have lived in this area in Oxfordshire all my life. I don’t just know what the issues are, I live them every day.”

The independent candidate said he wants to find a solution to traffic on the A34 which does not involve building the proposed Oxford to Cambridge expressway, and said he thought it was highly unlikely that a new east to west road could solve traffic on a north to south highway.

He is a Remainer, and said that if he was elected as the local MP, he would ‘do everything in his power to stop Brexit’.

As an independent he is relying on friends and family support for his campaign.

The Green Party: stood down

The Green Party was due to field Dr Sue Roberts as a candidate for Wantage, but she stood down before submitting an application because of a Remain-leaning alliance with the Liberal Democrats.

The Unite to Remain Alliance has seen Greens, Lib Dems and Plaid Cymru candidates stand aside for one another across the UK to allow voters only one choice from among them, with the intention of gaining more votes for an anti-Brexit party.