SHIPLEY and Keighley Liberal Democrats have nominated Caroline Jones and Matt Walker as candidates for the General Election on June 8.

Caroline Jones, of Burley-in-Wharfedale, will contest Shipley. She worked for a number of small businesses before starting work in a Primary School in 1996 where her job involves working closely with staff, children and parents, all aspects of finance and funding, HR and facilities management.

She is married to Bob and has three grown-up children.

She was elected to Ilkley Parish Council in 1995 and following the separation of Ilkley and Burley Parish Councils she served for seven years on the new Burley Parish Council and was its first chair.

Caroline is greatly concerned by the cuts in education funding being made by the Conservative Government. Shipley Schools will lose £6.5 million by 2019 and for the whole of Bradford the loss is a massive £45 million.

She believes that social care should be joined with the NHS. She has experience of finding good care for a family member with Alzheimers and knows that it is not always available. The NHS should be proper funded to take account of the ageing population and advances in medical treatment.

Caroline supports the Liberal Democrat campaign against a Hard Brexit and will campaign for a referendum on the terms negotiated by the government.

Matt Walker, who is also Yorkshire born and bred and has worked across the county in the NHS will contest the Keighley constituency for the Liberal Democrats.

Matt currently works for NHS England supporting GP Practices and healthcare is his number one priority. He has experienced first-hand the pressures and triumphs of working in the NHS and is well-placed to fight to ensure that health and social care is properly funded and accessible to all.

Two of Matt’s brothers are teachers and he knows very well the dedication and long hours that teachers put in. Local schools need to be properly funded to ensure children get the best start in life. Matt is a strong supporter of delivering fair funding for all schools and will ensure it is properly funded by the government, from early years right through to college.

Matt is fighting hard to keep the countryside open to all and free from fracking and harmful planning decisions. Incineration should only be used as a last resort after reducing, reusing and recycling. An advocate for green and healthier travel, Matt can often be seen out and about on his bike. As a keen volunteer with the Yorkshire-based charity, Open Country, which supports access to the countryside for disabled people, he can often be seen leading the way at the front of a tandem. He has run several marathons, raising thousands of pounds for good causes.