The Epping Forest Guardian is asking each of the six parliamentary candidates in Epping Forest why people should vote for them in the general election on May 7.

Here, Gareth Barrett of the Labour party has given five reasons for people to vote for him.

1. The NHS - I will demand a secure future for our NHS with 20,000 more nurses and 8,000 extra GPs - part of 36,000 more frontline staff. All from fully funded means, not speculative proposals.

2. Fairness - I recognise that the nation's finances must be put on a stable footing and that we must cut the deficit. I will vote to balance the nation's books and cut the deficit fairly every single year. As your MP I would seek to abolish the Bedroom Tax, really tackle tax evasion and increase the minimum wage to £8.

3. Public Transport - I will oppose the Tory cuts to our public transport services. I will fight against the staff cuts at Epping and Loughton stations. For commuters I will support a one year freeze in train fares, again fully funded from changes to the transport budget.

4. Local voice - I will be a local champion for Epping Forest, calling local politicians at the District and County Council to account - demanding our streetlights be turned back on and our roads properly fixed.

5. Our Community - I understand the importance of Epping Forest and will fight to protect our precious greenbelt to our community from property speculators. Instead of cutting Corporation Tax again for the largest firms, I will support a cut, and then a freeze in business rates for Epping Forest’s smaller businesses.