General Election 2017: Race for Ilford North hots up between Labour's Wes Streeting, Conservative Lee Scott, and Liberal Democrat Richard Clare

After Theresa May’s shock announcement of a snap General Election on June 8 last week the battle for Ilford North began with fierce campaigning from all sides.

Current Labour MP Wes Streeting will face his Conservative predecessor Lee Scott in a re-match of the 2015 elections, which saw Mr Streeting beat Mr Scott by just 589 votes.

The pair will also be up against former Liberal Democrat candidate Richard Clare.

The 34-year-old Labour MP from Barkingside said he is “relishing” the opportunity to get back to the campaign trail.

He said: “The difference between now and two years ago is I now have that record under my belt.

“I will stand on that record of making the voices of Ilford North heard.

“I’m a tireless campaigner, whether it’s fighting to save the A&E at King George Hospital or trying to stop cuts to Redbridge Council or our local schools.”

Mr Streeting said his main priorities would be fighting for better investment for the borough's schools, which claim to be “in crisis” over the Government’s austerity measures.

He also wants to continue his work campaigning against slashes to student grants and providing better financial support for trainee nurses, midwives, and other NHS staff.

He added he would be “happy to put his two year record alongside his predecessor’s 10-year one” and believes his constituents know he “doesn’t just come knocking on doors at election time”.

His 61-year-old Conservative rival Lee Scott says he decided to try to win his old seat back after being “inundated with emails”.

Mr Scott, of Hainault, said: “If you’d have told me eight days ago what is happening now I wouldn’t have believed you.

“But when so many people asked me to stand again, I asked my party, and I asked my wife, and now here we are.”

He added: “It’s a clear choice now, between the instability of Jeremy Corbyn or stability under Theresa May.”

But Mr Streeting claims the real choice is between “an independent-minded MP like him or a Government loyalist who will just parrot Theresa May like Mr Scott.”

Mr Scott’s main campaign priorities are protecting green belt land like Oakfield Playing Fields in Barkingside from development.

He said: “We all know we need more housing, but there are plenty of brownfield sites across the borough for that.

“When you look at the decisions to build on Oakfield or places like South Woodford, it’s obvious what it’s all about – money.”

After the Jewish ex-MP revealed he suffered a number of death threats throughout his political career in 2014, he also wants to focus on making sure the diverse population of the area continues to live in harmony.

Continuing previous work to get young people with special needs into work and protecting the rights of the Tamil community will also feature in his manifesto.

Their Lib Dem rival Richard Clare is determined to offer Ilford North an “alternative to the Government’s steamrollered Brexit”, despite bagging just 2.3 per cent of the vote in 2015.

The 24-year-old from South Woodford said: “The circumstances have changed hugely since 2015.

“We have Brexit on the agenda and the Labour Party in a mess.

“We know from the referendum data Redbridge was divided on whether to leave the European Union or not.

“But while half voted to remain, the half that voted to leave only voted out of the EU, not the customs union, or the single market.”

Locally Mr Clare’s priorities are protecting hospital services at Whipps Cross in Leytonstone and King George in Goodmayes, as well as fighting for better funding for GPs.

He will also be campaigning for more investment for mental health services and schools.

He said: “One in four people will suffer mental health problems in their lifetime, so we need the NHS to put mental health on a par with physical health.”