By Cameron Eyles
December 13 2019, 12.00
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New Carshalton and Wallington MP Elliot Colburn says his biggest challenge is improving the health services in the area.
With the NHS high on the agenda the newly elected Conservative MP pledged he would ensure these health services would improve in his constituency.
Mr Colburn unseated long standing Liberal Democrat Tom Brake by just 629 votes.
He said: “My biggest challenge is to deliver on local health services.
“£500 million has been promised to St Helier Hospital and we need to improve it.”
The 80-year-old hospital is always a huge issue come election time and the new conservative MP wants to address it quickly.
There has been outrage regarding the plans to redevelop the hospital with local campaign group ‘Keep our St Helier Hospital’ slamming both the proposals of Mr Colburn and his nearest rival Tom Brake.
Mr Colburn has insisted that under a Conservative government the ageing building will be improved.
He said: “We can have excellent health services in this area.
“But we need to make sure that money gets to frontline services.”
In his acceptance speech Mr Colburn was keen to emphasise that improving health services was one of his top priorities.
The environment and transport were also a priority stressed in his speech.
He said: “I am looking forward to working with my good friend Paul Scully on issues that matter to this community such as parking, improving public transport links and making sure our local environment is safe for people to breathe clean air.”
Sutton is one of six boroughs in London not served by the tube so improving public transport is always one of the biggest priorities.
Tom Brake had called on Southern Rail to be replaced as quickly as possible from the area while Mr Colburn believes that it should be at the end of their contract when the train provider should be reviewed.
Paul Scully retained the neighbouring Tory seat of Sutton and Cheam with a slightly reduced majority.
It is the first time that the borough of Sutton has had two Tory MPs since before the 1997 general election.
Picture from Elliot Colburn’s Twitter
