Interview: Chris White

“A lot of people want to come [to Warwick]. I think the challenge is to make sure everybody’s got a chance to come here and make sure the financial side of things – the threat of debt and the overwhelming cost of university – do not put less-advantaged people off.

I think that where regards to student finance and student fees, and all those things go, a review is taking place, and we really need to see the outcome of that review before decisions are made.

We are now in a very difficult position with the nation’s finances as they are.

Some responsibility does need to be shown to make sure that we have got a financial environment that supports long-term, sustainable jobs, and makes people have a brighter future.

I was knocking on doors last weekend in so-called student areas in Leamington, and it is interesting to see the perception of young people.

Politics and politicians has turned a lot of people off, particularly the behaviour of some members of parliament.

But you can’t brush things under the carpet; you have got to be able to talk about things. You can’t talk about the economy these days without people saying you’re talking Britain down; it’s just about being honest really, it’s just facing the issues we’ve got to face.

It’s about saying there is an alternative, that’s what I will be trying to do over the next, slightly less than a hundred days now.

It is about setting out a stall, it’s about showing how we have something different to offer, both locally and nationally.

I live in Warwick and Leamington, and I love the place in which I live. I feel I’m very much part of the community, I work as hard as I can to listen to the issues people are facing on a daily basis.

I pay my bills in Warwick and Leamington, I shop in Warwick and Leamington, but I want to see something better. I want to see more investment in our constituency. I want to see our constituency safer, I don’t think anything is ever good enough to say we should relax.”

**Chris White lost by 266 votes to James Plaskitt at the 2005 General Election. He is a Warwick District Councillor and Conservative Party parliamentary candidate.**