Ahead of next Thursday’s local elections, JesmondLocal spoke with Martin Evison who hopes to claim the South Jesmond seat for Reform UK. Evison, a former professor at Northumbria University, says the pandemic has had detrimental consequences for younger generations and hopes for the opportunity to support local health and care organisations if elected.

What’s your connection to Jesmond?

“I studied genetics at the University of Newcastle between 1979-82. I was the first person in my family to go to university. The students on my course were ordinary people like me and I am immensely grateful for the opportunity we were offered. After travelling and employment in IT, I went back into academia working at Sheffield Medico-Legal Centre and the University of Toronto in Canada. I returned to Newcastle in 2010 as Professor in Forensic Science at Northumbria University until I retired last year. I’ve lived in Sandyford since 2010.”

What qualifies you to be a councillor in South Jesmond?

“During my years outside academia, I actually worked in local government at the county level for some years. I am familiar with most of the business areas and organisational culture. I am an elected past president of a national scientific society. Alongside this and other some national and committee work, I am experienced in collating views and developing policy. I hope this equips me with knowledge that can help effect change in the interests of the residents over a range of issues.”

What are your issues and concerns for the community?

“I am strongly influenced by a concern to get things back to normal after over a year of lockdowns in which schools, universities, business and leisure have been badly affected. Reform UK is the only party that is nationally pursuing such policies. Whilst we need to protect vulnerable people, residents of all kinds wish for a return to normal life and advancement of many other local developments depends on this.”

How can your voice and beliefs help those around you?

“I think there are clear shared values in the community regarding the desire for a safe, clean and pleasant environment in which to live. Beyond that, residents’ views vary and – if elected – I will be aiming to accommodate the freedom of choice as much as possible, while keeping safety, economic and environmental considerations in mind. I am committed to keeping council spending down, allowing residents to make their own financial decisions and encouraging local economic recovery – further supported via business rate cuts and similar schemes.”

Has the pandemic influenced your stance on community safety?

“The pandemic or – let’s be truthful – the lockdowns have been a travesty of public health and safety. In Newcastle, I was deeply shocked to read of drug-related deaths of several students and of two possible suicides in which lockdown is implicated as a factor, and now of missed terminal cancer diagnoses. I have also read a new study by academics at Northumbria University noting a relationship between poor mental health among students across the country and lack of trust in government and university leadership generally. Reform UK support the campaign for student fee discount as well as loan interest rate reduction; but it is also imperative that young people are never again exposed to such harm.

“Numerous scientific studies indicate there is little benefit in lockdown beyond the low stringency measures already in place in mid-March 2020. Irrespectively, the widely reported effectiveness of vaccines and of vaccine uptake indicates lockdowns can be abandoned. In advance of further outbreaks, we need to move to a policy based on focused protection of the vulnerable, health maximisation and careful pursuit of normality for others.

“If elected, I will be supporting local health and care organisations in pursuing these policies. I’m also concerned about possible rises in drug-related and violent crime during the lockdowns, and I hope the forthcoming elections will deliver a Police and Crime Commissioner who will focus on violent and property crime rather than ideology.”

You can meet and quiz all the local election candidates when JesmondLocal hosts a Zoom version of its traditional local election hustings on Tuesday May 4th from 7:30pm to 9:30pm.

This online event is free, but to be able to attend, you must register. Details of the Zoom link and passcode will be emailed to all registrants just a couple of hours before the event begins. We will also be emailing registrants with details of how they can put their questions to the candidates.

To get your free ticket, register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/jesmond-local-election-hustings-2021-online-tickets-152269302583