Portsmouth South candidates explain why they deserve your vote ahead of General Election on July 4

The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked all candidates standing for the Portsmouth South constituency to tell voters why they should earn their vote.

The seat has been held by Labour’s Stephen Morgan since 2017. YouGov has projected another win for Labour, with nearly 60 per cent of the vote share.

Elliott Lee, The Green Party

Pompey is calling for Greens.

Air pollution remains at dangerous levels, sewage contaminates the Solent, and green spaces are disappearing. I’m ambitious because we need significant change, and we shouldn’t settle for less. To address the climate crisis, we must hold water bosses accountable, bring Southern Water into community democratic ownership, and find common-sense recycling solutions.

Housing in the city is limited. I’ll fight for the right homes, in the right places, at the right prices for our community. This means prioritising social housing over profit-driven developments and ensuring infrastructure can support new builds. Tackling air pollution, I’m committed to insulating Portsmouth homes, reducing bills, and creating new careers.

Social care brought me into politics, and I’ve seen professionals let down in Portsmouth. I advocate for a National Social Care Service providing high-quality care and jobs with a guaranteed £15 minimum wage. NHS reform is essential to bring more dentists and GPs to the city, funded by a wealth tax on earnings over £10 million.

After 14 years of Tory governance, which has held back investment and cut welfare, we face a choice. We can play safe, or commit to being ambitious for real hope and real change for Pompey.

Stephen Morgan, Labour Party

Portsmouth is a great city but our community has been badly let down by the Conservatives over the last 14 years.

People are worse off and nothing seems to work anymore. It’s time for change.

In Portsmouth, at this election, it will again be a clear two-horse race between Labour and the Conservatives. A choice between five more years of chaos and decline with the Tories, or stability and hope with Labour.

I love Portsmouth. Born and bred here, I take action every day to make our city better for everyone. From helping thousands of local people with their problems, to securing the £58m urgent care centre at QA, extra dental appointments, stopping AQUIND, to securing a medical school for our city, I have a record of action and a promise of more.

If re-elected I will continue to be a strong national voice for Portsmouth, to improve access to GPs and NHS dentistry, get bobbies back on our city’s streets and end sewage pollution.

For Portsmouth and for Britain, Labour is ready to deliver the change we need. On July 4, let’s get our city’s future back by re-electing a visible local MP who gets things done.

Charlie Murphy, Liberal Democrats

Portsmouth is crying out for change – we are routinely let down by central government. It just feels like nothing works anymore.

The NHS is on its knees, the Solent is full of sewage and 15,000 Portsmouth children live in poverty.

Portsmouth deserves better and I have three priorities, paid for by making sure big companies pay their fair share.

As a former carer, I know there’s no fixing the NHS without fixing social care. That’s why I support the Lib Dems’ fully-costed, £9 billion plan to overhaul social care by giving free personal care at home to those who need it. It’s the same with sorting out local GPs and NHS dentists.

I also have the strongest plan in the city to tackle sewage dumping – taking shareholders out of the driving seat, banning director’s bonuses and issuing a new tax on the £2.2 billion profit made by water companies.

It’s my personal mission to fight child poverty. Almost 40 per cent of kids in our city living in poverty is a scandal. I’d abolish the two-child benefit cap immediately and roll out free school meals for all primary school children.

Portsmouth needs real change. Everyone deserves a fair deal.

Jacob Short, Portsmouth Independents Party

Hello, I’m Jacob Short, I’m a local lad living in Fratton, I attended a local secondary school and went to Portsmouth College where I studied Law, Politics and Digital Media/Journalism.

I have decided to stand to be a local voice on a national stage, without influence from national parties and to be able to represent the constituents of Portsmouth South without external pressures from party whips. No towing the party line.

Portsmouth is an amazing city with a wide range of diverse cultures and communities, with amazing local businesses and charities. But, we are also facing many issues that need to be addressed by a strong, active and committed local person.

Our local infrastructure is falling apart. Housing issues and homelessness is on the increase, our roads are crumbling with potholes everywhere and people cannot access the basics like a dentist or GP. Then there’s the shoplifting, antisocial behaviour, joyriding across the city. The dumping of sewage into our seas is another strong issue being known as a “waterfront city”, why can’t we swim in our seas?

Vote for a local person who puts Portsmouth South first and foremost. Vote for change. Vote Portsmouth Independents.

Mark Zimmer, Reform UK

As the Reform UK candidate for Portsmouth South and resident, I’m aware of the issues we face and need addressing.

There’s been a huge increase of HMOs, creating ‘bedsits’ that provide temporary housing. This is not the way forward for young couples embarking on a family life together.

Why not use a different approach, converting a house into flats would provide two homes, not small rooms, a much better option and healthier. An even better option is to build more affordable homes which cannot be snapped up by speculative property owners, but by young people starting out on their own.

Planning needs to be quicker and more transparent, not a fight between councils and developers. Re-purpose commercial properties with a built-in community, making sure this applies to every new development i.e. shop unit, doctors surgery, dental practice.

Our private schools within Portsmouth South are in the firing line too, penalising parents by adding VAT to the cost. Surely this is counterproductive, as it will force more children into our already overcrowded state schools. There should be incentives given to those who can and are willing to pay.

I will not promise the Earth, but I promise to make a difference.

Signe Biddle, the Conservative Party candidate, was approached for comment.