With the general election today, the Surrey Comet has asked all the candidates for Kingston and Surbiton for their positions on four important issues: health, the economy, Brexit and education.

These are the candidates’ approaches to Brexit.

Graham Matthews, UKIP

We have six key tests for whatever Brexit deal the government negotiates.

Legal: Parliament must be unrestricted and supreme. Our courts must be free from the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights.

Migration: we must have full control of immigration and borders.

Maritime: full sovereignty restored to a 200-mile limit

Trade: the UK must resume its seat at the WTO and have a sovereign right to negotiate trade agreements.

Money: we must not pay any so-called ‘divorce’ bill or make any future contributions to an EU budget. We must be refunded our share of assets such as our part ownership of the European Investment Bank.

Time: done and dusted by end of 2019

Laurie South, Labour Party

Labour campaigned to remain and I was on the streets of Kingston arguing the case. We accept that the referendum determined the UK would leave so now the Labour Party’s priorities are your jobs and the UK economy.

This may mean staying in the Single Market and the Custom’s Union: jobs, the economy and therefore our wellbeing come first.

James Berry, Conservative Party

I was on the Remain side in the referendum, but along with the campaign groups and the party leaders, I agreed to accept the result, either way.

The Liberal Democrats have gone back on their word. They won’t accept the result and want to force a divisive second referendum. But recent polls have showed that even most people who voted Remain agree that we need to get on with Brexit.

I will continue to argue for the closest relationship with our European friends and allies consistent with the referendum result, but the most important question at this election is whether Theresa May or Jeremy Corbyn is negotiating for Britain.

Ed Davey, Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats respect the result of the referendum and accept we must negotiate a Brexit deal. This is vital, as no-one has ever told the British public what Brexit actually means, and there have been 57 varieties of Brexit. Our preferred Brexit would keep the UK in the single market and the customs union, to protect jobs and our economy.

Brexit will take at least four or five years to negotiate, and then we will at last know what Brexit means. At that point, Lib Dems believe it should be the people who decide if the deal is the right one for Britain, or not. We do not accept the Conservative approach of a “no deal” option, as that would be highly damaging to our country’s economy.

I want to contribute to this crucial national debate in Parliament, using my experience of having negotiated for 5 years in Europe, when I represented the UK at ministerial councils on the single market, on trade, on energy and on the environment.

Michael Basman, independent

I feel this was an overwhelmingly necessary event, because we had to take back control of our own country, and thus learn by making our own mistakes, and often making good decisions!

Frequently, whenever you wanted to change something, in the past civil servants would simply say, “You can’t do that – it’s an EU rule”. Now our lives will not be ruled by an unelected elite in Brussels, and if you believe in democracy, surely that must be a good thing.

I believe in Europe, but all the nations of that continent should have more autonomy. Why should we benefit from democracy, whilst they are denied? The EU has been of enormous benefit to the countries of Eastern Europe, because many of them had just emerged from despotic rule.

On the other hand it has been less beneficial to the Western European countries. Perhaps a looser, more flexible federation would be ideal.
Chinners, Official Monster Raving Loony Party (taken from the party’s ‘Manicfesto’)

We will hold a referendum on the value of referenda and then consult the nation on how it feels about being consulted.

All Europeans should pay to use the English Channel, and all crème anglaise is to be made in Britain.

Chris Walker, Green Party

There are opportunities coming from Brexit, for example looking outside Europe for a better Emissions Trading System. But 'hard Brexit' would be disastrous and we believe that any deal needs proper scrutiny, especially by young people, who will have to live with the consequences.

There is a risk that the Government will rush through a 'Great Repeal Bill' and we will end up as an offshore tax haven for Trump's America. We therefore need Green voices in Parliament to stand up for environmental protection, local communities and young people throughout the process.