The next election is a straight choice nationally and locally between a Labour government fighting for the NHS, tackling the housing crisis and addressing the cost of living.

Or five more years of the Conservatives putting the most privileged first.

Make your vote count.

Here are my pledges for Dulwich and West Norwood.

1. Secure the future of the NHS with 36,000 more frontline staff 

2. Fair taxes, tackle the cost of living crisis and cut the deficit every year

3. Guarantee jobs for young people and increasing the number of apprenticeships

4. Build 200,000 new homes a year by 2020 and a fair deal for private renters

5. Make Britain a world leader on climate change, green jobs and low carbon technology

More Doctors and Nurses for our NHS

Our NHS should always be there for you and your family when you need it. Labour will secure the future of our NHS with 20,000 more nurses and 8,000 extra GPs.

This investment in our health service will be funded by a clamp down on tax avoidance, a levy on tobacco firms and a higher tax on properties worth over £2m.

The Tories have put private profit before patient care and left A&E departments facing the worst crisis since records began.

Their plans would reduce public spending to levels not seen since the 1930s, before there was an NHS.

The NHS as we know it cannot survive five more years of the Tories.

Time after time, local residents and small businesses raise the issue of fair taxes when they meet Labour's candidate Helen Hayes.

A Labour government will deliver fair taxes for individuals and local businesses, tackling the huge inequities left by the coalition government.

Under the Tories and Lib Dems, taxes for the highest earners have been cut while hard-working people on the lowest incomes have seen VAT increased and their taxes rise, making it harder to make ends meet.

Local small businesses are frustrated that they work hard and pay their taxes while too many big companies are allowed to get away with not paying their fair share. A Labour government will deliver fair taxes for both individuals and businesses.

Labour will reverse the cut in income tax for those earning more than £150,000 a year, crack down on tax evasion and avoidance by big business, and cut business rates for small businesses

Investing in jobs and apprenticeships

Helen Hayes pledges to act

It is a scandal that so many of our young people in Dulwich and West Norwood are out of work. A Labour government will invest in vocational education to give our young people the skills they need to succeed in the modern economy.

We will guarantee a properly-paid starter job to every young person who has been out of work for more than a year. We will pay for this investment through a tax on bankers’ bonuses.

We will increase the number of high-quality apprenticeships. Helen Hayes said ''Being out of work when you are young damages your prospects for many years to come. We cannot afford either the economic or the human costs of unemployment. That’s why Labour will invest in our young people who are our future.''

Housing Survey Results

Our housing survey results show that many families in Dulwich and West Norwood are facing crippling housing costs as house prices and rents spiral out of control.

It means that many of the key workers London relies on teachers, nurses, paramedics, plumbers cannot afford to live in our city.

Thanks to Tory Mayor Boris Johnson, many so-called ‘affordable’ homes are beyond the reach even of residents who earn good incomes.

Labour will tackle the housing crisis. We will build 200,000 new homes a year by 2020 to address the shortage.

Read more about Helen's work on local housing issues here. 

Making Climate Change a top priority for the United Kingdom

David Cameron promised ‘the greenest government ever’, but he has taken the UK backwards on climate change. We need to be serious about climate change for the sake of our children and our planet - across the world it is the poorest communities who suffer the most from the effects of climate change.

A Labour government will commit to de-carbonising the UK’s energy supply by 2050, and will lead the discussions at the Paris Climate Change Summit in December 2015 pushing for new global targets for carbon emissions reductions. The UK has some of the least energy-efficient homes in Europe.

Insulating our homes better is one of the most important contributions we can make to reducing carbon emissions. A Labour government would insulate five million homes, saving UK families an annual average of £270 from their heating bills.

It also makes economic sense to prioritise climate change. Labour will invest in a million green technology jobs by 2025, ensuring that the UK is leading the world on climate change once again.