General Election 2024: What do your candidates think?

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In the midst of a nationwide General Election campaign, it is often easy to lose track of what your local candidates are saying about issues that don’t make the national headlines. However, we believe that our readers being informed about their candidates’ views on Arts & Theatre matters are of the upmost importance during the campaign. In order to allow you to make an informed choice with your vote in regards to the creative arts, we will continuously update this page with what your candidates have, or have not, said in regards to these. Keep checking back for more!

Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre’s Pre-Election Briefing

On May 31st, Forge Press Arts & Theatre published a story regarding policies the Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre have asked all prospective Parliamentary candidates to commit to work towards in the next Parliament. These consisted of committing to ensuring every child visits a theatre before they leave school and an investment in capital funding to help secure theatre venues.

Penistone & Stocksbridge

  • Miriam Cates (Conservative Party) ~ Candidate contacted for comment
  • Andy Davies (Green Party) ~ Party contacted for comment
  • Edward Dillingham (Reform UK) ~ Candidate contacted for comment
  • Rob Reiss (Liberal Democrats) ~ Candidate contacted for comment
  • Marie Tidball (Labour Party) ~ Candidate contacted for comment
General Election Candidates for the Penistone & Stocksbridge constituency. From left to right (Top) ~ Miriam Cates (Conservative), Andy Davies (Green) & Edward Dillingham (Reform UK). Bottom ~ Rob Reiss (Liberal Democrat) & Marie Tidball (Labour). Image Credit: Who Can I Vote For?

Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough

  • Maxine Bowler (Independent) ~ Candidate contacted for comment
  • Gill Furniss (Labour Party) ~ Candidate contacted for comment
  • Aaron Jacob (Conservative Party) ~ Party contacted for comment
  • Christine Gilligan Kubo (Green Party) ~ Party contacted for comment
  • Will Sapwell (Liberal Democrats) ~ Candidate contacted for comment
  • Jeremy Turner (Social Democratic Party) ~ Party contacted for comment
  • Mark Tyler (Workers Party of Britain) ~ Party contacted for comment
General Election Candidates for the Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough constituency. From left to right (Top) ~ Maxine Bowler (Independent), Gill Furniss (Labour) & Aaron Jacob (Conservative). Bottom ~ Christine Gillian Kubo (Green), Will Sapwell (Liberal Democrat), Jeremy Turner (SDP) & Mark Tyler (Worker’s Party). Image Credit: Who Can I Vote For? & The Social Democratic Party

Sheffield Central

  • Angela Argenzio (Green Party) ~ Party contacted for comment
  • Sam Christmas (Liberal Democrats) ~ Party contacted for comment
  • Isabelle Amy France (Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition) ~ Candidate contacted for comment
  • Caitlin Hardy (Workers Party of Britain) ~ Party contacted for comment
  • Abtisam Mohamed (Labour Party) ~ Candidate contacted for comment
  • Lucy Stephenson (Conservative Party) ~ Candidate contacted for comment
  • Annie Stoker (Social Democratic Party) ~ Party contacted for comment
  • Alison Clare Teal (Independent) ~ No contact information available
General Election Candidates for the Sheffield Central constituency. From left to right (Top) ~ Angela Argenzio (Green), Sam Christmas (Liberal Democrat), Isabelle Amy France (Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition) & Caitlin Hardy (Worker’s Party). Bottom ~ Abtisam Mohamed (Labour), Lucy Stephenson (Conservative), Annie Stoker (SDP) & Alison Clare Teal (Independent). Image Credit: Who Can I Vote For?, The Liberal Democrats & The Social Democratic Party

Sheffield Hallam

  • Olivia Blake (Labour Party) ~ Candidate contacted for comment
  • Sam Chapman (Rejoin EU) ~ Party contacted for comment
  • Andrew Hudson Cowell (Social Democratic Party) ~ Candidate contacted for comment
  • Isaac Howarth (Conservative Party) ~ Party contacted for comment
  • Jason Leman (Green Party) ~ “I love theatre and think it plays an essential role in our society. Theatre is wonderfully human entertainment, but it also stimulates thinking and reflection and public discussion. We are lucky in having excellent theatre in Sheffield, from the Crucible to the University theatre to outdoor performances and occasional street theatre. It’s important that we support this creativity and reflection on our society. The Green Party commits to restoring arts and music education across all state schools. The arts are a vital part of education, supporting the engagement of young people with their learning. Theatre, in particular, is a route towards young people actively exploring social and political issues, along with just enjoying performance and storytelling. Aside from the focus on arts in education, the Green Party will invest significantly more in schools, enabling the ‘Theatre for Every Child’ pledge to be met. Investment in public spaces, including theatres, is greatly needed. The Green Party will significantly increase funding to local government and explicitly guide councils to using part of this funding to nurture arts and culture in their areas. Delivering this funding through councils will enable every area of the UK to benefit. It is essential that every community, particularly those hit hardest by inequalities and injustice, are supported to watch, listen, and tell their own stories”
  • Shaffaq Mohammed (Liberal Democrats) ~ Candidate contacted for comment
  • Mo Moui-Tabrizy (Workers Party of Britain) ~ Party contacted for comment
General Election Candidates for the Sheffield Hallam constituency. From left to right (Top) ~ Olivia Blake (Labour), Sam Chapman (Rejoin EU) & Andrew Hudson Cowell (Social Democratic Party). Bottom ~ Isaac Howarth (Conservative), Jason Leman (Green), Shaffaq Mohammed (Liberal Democrat) & Mo Moui-Tabrizy (Worker’s Party). Image Credit: Who Can I Vote For? & The Conservative Party

Sheffield Heeley

  • Rebecca Atkinson (Liberal Democrats) ~ Party contacted for comment
  • Alexi Dimond (Green Party) ~ Party contacted for comment
  • Louise Haigh (Labour Party) ~ Candidate contacted for comment
  • Helen Claire Jackman (Social Democratic Party) ~ Party contacted for comment
  • Lorna Dorothy Maginnis (Conservative Party) ~ Party contacted for comment
  • Louise McDonald (Party of Women) ~ Party contacted for comment
  • Steven Roy (Workers Party of Britain) ~ Party contacted for comment
  • Mick Suter (Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition) ~ Candidate contacted for comment
General Election Candidates for the Sheffield Heeley constituency. From left to right (Top) ~ Rebecca Atkinson (Liberal Democrat), Alexi Dimond (Green), Louise Haigh (Labour) & Helen Claire Jackman (Social Democratic Party). Bottom ~ Lorna Dorothy Maginnis (Conservative), Louise McDonald (Party of Women), Steven Roy (Worker’s Party) & Mick Suter (Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition). Image Credit: Who Can I Vote For? & The Social Democratic Party

Sheffield South East

  • Clive Betts (Labour Party) ~ Candidate contacted for comment
  • Jack Carrington (Independent) ~ Candidate contacted for comment
  • Caroline Kampila (Conservative Party) ~ Party contacted for comment
  • Matthew Leese (Social Democratic Party) ~ Party contacted for comment
  • Hannah Nicklin (Green Party) ~ “I began my career in theatre […] I was on the board of Sheffield-based theatre company Third Angel for many years and I have also been in residency as an artist at Sheffield Theatres on several occasions.The specific view of the Green Party as per our policy documents is that “Culture is essential to human fulfilment. As a human need, it enhances the economy both directly and indirectly: where people are more fulfilled they are likely to contribute more to their work and to society. […] Artistic activity has an important role to play in the sustenance of a society’s culture. We believe that the UK produces some of the finest professional theatre, film, comedy and music in the world and that home grown entertainment industries need to be recognised for the value they add to society.” But I can assure you that my position is (I hope) enhanced by my direct experience of the UK creative industries […] I am deeply committed personally to the need for capital investment into theatres, means of getting children and young people into theatre spaces (I myself was a beneficiary of the era of ‘free tickets for under 25s’ which, when I lived on a maintenance grant in Birmingham made a massive difference to my time there). But I would also add to that that theatre and arts buildings are nothing without artists. There’s a huge sector problem with matching (much needed) capital investment with investment in reducing the precarity of theatre and arts practitioners; early career artists, mid career, and mature artists all need different and targeted support in order to make sure that our arts sector is not solely populated by and made for the privileged. […] In short I am extremely pleased to commit, should I be elected MP for Sheffield South East, to uphold the Green Party’s stance that culture is both vital and urgently needs to be invested in. The policy suggestions you outline are ones I would support and lobby for but I would add a third which would be better developing support for the most precarious workers in the arts, and those who typically don’t benefit from capital investment. Any policy I would be privileged to lobby for and propose would in turn be informed by rigorous academic studies as well as direct experience.”
  • Muzafar Rahman (Workers Party of Britain) ~ Party contacted for comment
  • Sophie Jane Thornton (Liberal Democrats) ~ Party contacted for comment

The 2024 U.K. General Election will take place on July 4th

General Election Candidates for the Sheffield South East constituency. From left to right (Top) ~ Clive Betts (Labour), Jack Carrington (Independent) & Caroline Kampila (Conservative). Bottom ~ Matthew Leese (Social Democratic Party), Hannah Nicklin (Green), Muzafar Rahman (Worker’s Party) & Sophie Jane Thornton (Liberal Democrat). Image Credit: Who Can I Vote For? & The Social Democratic Party