The first openly transgender woman to run for parliament, Labour’s Emily Brothers, has revealed her passion for NHS reform and condemned her ‘flawed’ Sutton and Cheam rivals.
Ms Brothers, who is blind, also claimed that she represents the only solution to the constituency’s economic problems.
The ‘unfulfilled promises’ of the coalition government has given Ms Brothers genuine belief she can turn Labour’s 7% vote share from the 2010 into a winning majority on May 7.
She feels that incumbent Liberal Democrat Paul Burstow and Conservative candidate Paul Scully’s policies are flawed.
“Voting Labour is the only reasonable option for people who want to see a genuine impact in tackling the problems in the economy,” Ms Brothers said.
“A vote for either of the two Pauls will result in no changes being made and continue to produce the same problems of the past five years.
“It is the most open election for a generation and I think the Liberal Democrat and Conservative candidates in Sutton and Cheam are under pressure and we could win the seat.”
Ms Brothers is passionate about reforming the NHS and finding a solution to the worsening conditions of St Helier hospital.
The hospital had a £219million redevelopment fund withdrawn by the government in 2012 which Ms Brothers hopes Labour can recover in a sustainable way.
Ms Brothers’ personal experience of the NHS and long history of campaigning for disability rights is central to her desire to help the healthcare system.
“My stance backs that of the Labour Party in supporting the NHS. I had personal experience of hospitals from a young age,” she said.
“I had a number of eye operations and the NHS has been a great support for me and my family.
“Labour now wants to deal with the problems in the NHS without creating a bigger deficit.
“We will do that by spreading the strain to people with broad financial shoulders through mansion taxes and a tax on earning pensioners.”
Thursday’s budget represented another example for Ms Brothers of a coalition government that is detached from the needs of the average British family.
She said that her Lib Dem and Tory counterparts’ support of George Osborne’s plans further highlights their flaws.
Ms Brothers said: “Working people in Sutton are £1,600 a year worse off after five years of the coaltion government and the budget doesn’t improve on that.
“Despite the NHS being in crisis and social care being severely cut Paul Scully and Paul Burstow have supported the budget and failed to set out fair and responsible ways of balancing the books and bringing down national debt.”
Other Sutton and Cheam candidates were contacted for comment.
