Dr Joe Cronin

Independent Candidate Poole
General Election 2024

Dr Joe Cronin

Independent Candidate
Poole

General Election 2024

Dr Joe Cronin

Independent Candidate Poole
General Election 2024

Introduction

My name is Joe Cronin. I was born in the town of Kinsale on the south coast of Ireland. I moved to Poole in 2005 and work as a GP in the local area. I moved here 20 years ago having met my wife Kate who comes from Poole. I feel privileged to live in such a beautiful part of the world and appreciate how welcome everyone has made me feel in my new home.

Why?

I have decided to put myself forward as an independent candidate as I feel the current political system needs to change. I would love to see a move away from the outdated, divisive two-party system to a more pragmatic one where more groups, parties, and individuals have their views and ideas represented and expressed.

I believe the new parliament is likely to be a hung parliament with independents and smaller parties playing a significant role. I am an optimist and believe change is coming, I would love to contribute to and drive that change to the best of my ability, on our behalf.

Chief Political Objectives

Promote the health and well-being of all our children.

Working towards a modern, fairer political system representative of our population.

Whatever else we choose, investing in our children has to be a priority; this has not been the case previously under either Conservative or Labour governments. Mental health services for children in Dorset are woefully inadequate; as a GP I experience this daily.

I want to ensure that all children have access to counselling services and psychiatric care when needed.

Troubled children are likely to grow up to be troubled adults with drastic consequences for the individual and society as a whole.

On a local level, I would like to work with schools, clubs, and societies to introduce all children to sports, activities, and opportunities. I believe that providing interests and experiences to young people is key to an active and engaged life for all of our children; it’s the one investment we must make for a decent future for our society. My child may be your son or daughter's friend or lifetime partner. We are all in this together.

Working to change & modernise our democracy

With the current two-party system most of us feel voiceless and many people have disengaged from politics completely. Our system has hardly changed in centuries with various extensions of the vote being the only effective change. I would like to work towards a more pragmatic political system and a move away from the socialism versus capitalism model and its outdated first-past-the-post system.

I intend to work hard to introduce some form of proportional representation so that more parties’ groups and individuals have a say in parliament. The fact that there is only one sitting Green MP is a prime example of the limitations of the current system, which clearly in no way represents society as a whole.

Without change, we have the same rotation of the two big parties, with short-term policies introduced with one eye on the next election and their impact on electability with no long-term planning.

Without some sort of proportional representation, more people will disengage and the country will continue to stagnate and remain divided. Without change, nothing will change.

Working to change & improve the NHS

Everyone knows that things can’t continue as they are in the NHS but neither party is brave enough to make the necessary changes. A cross-party approach is clearly needed at this stage.

Salaries need to be looked at and a more equitable wage system introduced. Currently, our skilled nurses feel undervalued and are working in such stressful situations that many are leaving the profession. The same applies for our junior doctors – the future of the NHS.

The whole management structure needs to be looked at. We need to look at other overseas functional healthcare systems and learn from them.

We need to stop treating the NHS as a political football.

Other aims I would strive to achieve if I was elected to represent you

A sensible drugs policy with rehabilitation at its core

Setting up of people’s forums at a local and national level to advise on important politically difficult decisions such as assisted dying.

Cross-party decision-making on areas that to date have been too challenging or important for any one party alone to act on; such as the environment, global warming, and a functional health system.

Other aims I would strive to achieve if elected to represent you

A sensible drugs policy with rehabilitation at its core
Setting up of people’s forums at a local and national level to advise on important politically difficult decisions such as assisted dying.

Cross-party decision-making on areas that to date have been too challenging or important for any one party alone to act on; such as the environment, global warming, and a functional health system.

We need to look after our children to achieve a brighter future for us all. To achieve this we need to change our political system. I would love for people to reengage with politics, to debate amongst each other without division, in optimism and hope.

We need to look after our children to
achieve a brighter, more harmonious future for us all. We need to change our political system to achieve this and give our society a voice.

Change starts at the beginning.

Before I started campaigning, I knew there was a lot of apathy surrounding the current political situation, but I hadn't grasped the depth of anger and frustration out there. If elected, I believe your vote would be a clear mandate to change the system and introduce proportional representation.

If you resonate with these aims, I would appreciate your vote. I promise to be ethical and transparent in all my dealings. If elected to represent you and you have any ideas, concerns or suggestions, please contact me.

I pledge to act honestly and ethically in all my dealings and use my voice, independent of party influence, to shout for the causes I feel strongly about and those of the people of Poole.

Please support me for genuine change.

Pledges

Changing our current political system

Changing our current
political system

I have decided to stand as an independent in the upcoming elections as I believe our current political system is not fit for purpose.

Its divisive, outdated, unrepresentative and frankly dispiriting, as a result people are disengaging from politics at an alarming rate, young people in particular. The rest left impotently shouting at our screens while being lied to and left down yet again as Labour and the Tory’s flip flop around the center ground soliciting our votes.

At present I particularly find challenging the demonising and scapegoating of refugees, one of our most vulnerable minorities, who have already been through so much before arriving in the UK.
It’s the timeless right-wing tactic: Choose a minority to target, blame all your problems on this minority (housing, the NHS, unemployment) to cynically pit them against the working class in order to obtain their vote, thereby destabilising and causing friction in society.

In total there are 111,000 refugees seeking asylum in our country, a tiny fraction of our population who couldn’t possibly be the source of all our woes, or could it be foreigners, or people who sound or look differently that they mean.

I am a GP; and know that refugees are certainly not to blame for the pressures on the NHS. The problem lies with our politicians who are too incompetent and spineless to take the necessary steps to make the changes required. It seems that they have given up trying to do anything to improve "our precious NHS" other than to throw vast amount of our taxes at the problem.

When refugees arrive following a long perilous journey of escape, our current conservative government thinks locking them up on barges and threatening to deport them to Rwanda is the trick. “Tough on refugees” is not the slogan of a decent society.

All parties are guilty of either inciting hatred and division or of appeasement, by not being vocal in condemning the dangerous rhetoric, normalising it for fear of losing the working class vote and having to be seen politically as tough on refugees.

Of course, we need to have a plan to manage the situation, which should include safe routes and closing down of people trafficking gangs.

Instead of deporting them and locking them up: We should be making use of their skills: fast tracking equivalent qualifications, providing english language and update courses. There are many qualified professionals, and technically skilled people amongst the refugee population, whose skills are being wasted.

It is a shame to waste any potential especially as our economy is aging and short of workers in all sectors particularly hospitality, social care and the NHS. Refugees want to work and contribute to our society.

With regards to immigrants, they are either here legally or illegally. As they are not refugees, they can be deported but shouldn't be demonised. It's our failure if we want to deport them and don't.

With regards to refugees, we are the direct cause of their displacement in some instances, Libya & Iraq for example.
Iraq, Labour’s war, was justified by lying to us voters. Libya the Conservative and Unionist’s war, was fought without a thought as to its consequences with little justification and subsequently the Libyan people abandoned to their fate. This is the fault of politicians, not our well-trained military, who are there to serve and not to dictate foreign policy.

https://www.safepassage.org.uk/reports/general-elections-2024-our-manifesto

Housing

Property prices keep rising which makes it impossible for young people to buy a property or save for a deposit. I would propose a five-year period of tax exemption at the start of their careers, to enable them to save for a deposit (with tax collected and saved on their behalf with money paid in plus interest: paid out at the end of this 5-year period to be put towards a deposit) At the moment a lot of people’s rent is higher than a mortgage repayment would be.

Substandard Rental Accommodation

We need to come down hard on unscrupulous landlords on a local and national level when properties don’t meet acceptable standards. Substantial fines should be imposed. With Increased monitoring of rental properties to ensure standards are met. Fines being held until properties meet with standards and put into a local property fund if the landlord is still not compliant within a reasonable time frame.

As a GP I am aware that living in damp conditions is not only potentially life threatening but very distressing for the tenant (who often feel vulnerable and may be afraid to complain).

Property prices keep rising which makes it impossible for young people to buy a property or save for a deposit. I would propose a five-year period of tax exemption at the start of their careers, to enable them to save for a deposit (with tax collected and saved on their behalf with money paid in plus interest: paid out at the end of this 5-year period to be put towards a deposit) At the moment a lot of people’s rent is higher than a mortgage repayment would be.

Substandard Rental Accommodation

We need to come down hard on unscrupulous landlords on a local and national level when properties don’t meet acceptable standards. Substantial fines should be imposed. With Increased monitoring of rental properties to ensure standards are met. Fines being held until properties meet with standards and put into a local property fund if the landlord is still not compliant within a reasonable time frame.

As a GP I am aware that living in damp conditions is not only potentially life threatening but very distressing for the tenant (who often feel vulnerable and may be afraid to complain).

Animal Welfare

Animal welfare and protection of wild animals and their habitats.

If we aspire to being a civilised society we have to treat animals ethically and aim to protect all species and their habitats. We also have to stop the trade in exotic animals.

We are interdependent on our fellow species. Even if only out of self-interest we have to look after all of our cohabitants. Please see link below.

https://bit.ly/VotesForAnimals

Four Day Week

Research shows a slight increase in productivity with an 85% drop in sick days and an increase in morale in the workplace with obvious spin off benefits for society. Please see link below for further information and more details as to findings

We have to base our policies on research findings where available and to stop ignoring advisory committee’s recommendations when a change in policy is likely to impact negatively on the chances of being re-elected. Just because we need to be seen to be tough on crime, for example, doesn’t mean to say we shouldn’t adopt a sensible drugs policy with rehabilitation at its core. pragmatism is required rather than sloganeering.

Personally, I am lucky enough to have been able to shrink my working week down to three days (I am a GP so still work a 36-hour week) I know the importance of a healthy work-life balance.

https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/fourdayweek#

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Animal Welfare

Animal welfare and protection of wild animals and their habitats.

If we aspire to being a civilised society we have to treat animals ethically and aim to protect all species and their habitats. We also have to stop the trade in exotic animals.

We are interdependent on our fellow species. Even if only out of self-interest we have to look after all of our cohabitants. Please see link below.

https://bit.ly/VotesForAnimals

Four Day Week

Research shows a slight increase in productivity with an 85% drop in sick days and an increase in morale in the workplace with obvious spin off benefits for society. Please see link below for further information and more details as to findings

We have to base our policies on research findings where available and to stop ignoring advisory committee’s recommendations when a change in policy is likely to impact negatively on the chances of being re-elected. Just because we need to be seen to be tough on crime, for example, doesn’t mean to say we shouldn’t adopt a sensible drugs policy with rehabilitation at its core. pragmatism is required rather than sloganeering.

Personally, I am lucky enough to have been able to shrink my working week down to three days (I am a GP so still work a 36-hour week) I know the importance of a healthy work-life balance.

https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/fourdayweek#

Environment

Cross party action is required on climate change and the environment. Labour have rowed back on funding; the Conservatives think it’s a good idea to pump more oil from the sea. Neither are to be trusted to deal with the problem alone.

All policies and actions should be assessed with regards to their environmental impact.

With regards sewage in the harbour, I would propose nationalising the water companies with any profits made locally spent locally, on upgrading and preventative measures initially, put into a local environmental fund thereafter. The water companies combined made 1.7 billion pounds in profits and the average CEO got a 67,000 annual bonus in 2022/2023. Dorset council received a 4.6 million pound grant from the taxpayer to deal with this problem. In my view this money should have come from Wessex Water. Even if they did make a loss last year they have made substantial profits in previous years.

All new builds should have solar panels on the roof and use photovoltaic (PV) tiles and PV cladding with a lead in period to prepare as supply like to be a problem initially but a substantial economic benefit if the Uk is the supplier

Individuals should be rewarded for installing solar (here I would have to declare an interest as I have installed solar panels at home) without an expensive storage system, the excess energy produced goes back into the national grid. Energy companies should be made to buy back this excess energy at half price to incentivise further private investment in solar.

Green spaces should be included with all new builds, we need to build up and adequately plan all necessary services: shops, healthcare, schools etc.

We should do further work on rewilding public spaces (which in fairness Poole BCP are doing) to increase biodiversity and encourage businesses and individuals to do the same.

Invest in tidal energy, off shore and on shore wind energy in urban areas. In France a lot of communities, even small rural ones, use local investment to fund solar and wind energy schemes, we should also be doing the same in Poole.

Start promoting pride in our communities: I would propose a national holiday: Environment Day, where people would be asked to do their bit for the environment e.g. litter picking, planting trees, cleaning up our beaches etc. Maybe we could also come together in the evening of ED and chat to each other, why wait for the next jubilee!

Teaching nature and environmental studies in all schools with the emphasis on positive interventions and hope.(Personally, I would recommend Isabelle Tree’s, and George Monbiot’ books be added to the curriculum. I found Isabelle Tree’s book “Rewilding” particularly inspiring and full of hope.)

Cross party action is required on climate change and the environment. Labour have rowed back on funding; the Conservatives think it’s a good idea to pump more oil from the sea. Neither are to be trusted to deal with the problem alone.

All policies and actions should be assessed with regards to their environmental impact.

With regards sewage in the harbour, I would propose nationalising the water companies with any profits made locally spent locally, on upgrading and preventative measures initially, put into a local environmental fund thereafter. The water companies combined made 1.7 billion pounds in profits and the average CEO got a 67,000 annual bonus in 2022/2023. Dorset council received a 4.6 million pound grant from the taxpayer to deal with this problem. In my view this money should have come from Wessex Water. Even if they did make a loss last year they have made substantial profits in previous years.

All new builds should have solar panels on the roof and use photovoltaic (PV) tiles and PV cladding with a lead in period to prepare as supply like to be a problem initially but a substantial economic benefit if the Uk is the supplier

Individuals should be rewarded for installing solar (here I would have to declare an interest as I have installed solar panels at home) without an expensive storage system, the excess energy produced goes back into the national grid. Energy companies should be made to buy back this excess energy at half price to incentivise further private investment in solar.

Green spaces should be included with all new builds, we need to build up and adequately plan all necessary services: shops, healthcare, schools etc.

We should do further work on rewilding public spaces (which in fairness Poole BCP are doing) to increase biodiversity and encourage businesses and individuals to do the same.

Invest in tidal energy, off shore and on shore wind energy in urban areas. In France a lot of communities, even small rural ones, use local investment to fund solar and wind energy schemes, we should also be doing the same in Poole.

Start promoting pride in our communities: I would propose a national holiday: Environment Day, where people would be asked to do their bit for the environment e.g. litter picking, planting trees, cleaning up our beaches etc. Maybe we could also come together in the evening of ED and chat to each other, why wait for the next jubilee!

Teaching nature and environmental studies in all schools with the emphasis on positive interventions and hope.(Personally, I would recommend Isabelle Tree’s, and George Monbiot’ books be added to the curriculum. I found Isabelle Tree’s book “Rewilding” particularly inspiring and full of hope.)

Pledges

I have pledged, if elected, to do the following:

Introduction of safe routes for refugees
Do all I can to support families and fund research into dementia.
To campaign for and support legislation that will enable the transition to a four-day, 32-hour working week with no loss of pay.
Push for funding of Research and development to drive social policy making and drive industry and the economy.
To ensure all farm animals are reared and treated ethically, ban the trade in wild animals and to look after their habitats.
Stop discrimination against girl foetuses by supporting a law change to clarify that sex-selective abortion is illegal. To lower the gestational time limit for abortion from 24 weeks to 18 weeks (when the foetus is non viable)
To support women in the workplace by backing policies designed to stop pregnancy and maternity discrimination.
Do all I can to safeguard and restore our natural environment and to assess all policies with regards to there environmental impact.
Champion the needs of people experiencing homelessness with the aim of ending it for good

I pledge to act honestly and ethically in all my dealings and use my voice, independent of party influence, to shout for the causes I feel strongly about and those of the people of Poole.

Healthy futures, modern approach: vote for progress, vote for Joe

Healthy futures, modern approach:
vote for progress, vote for Joe

Healthy futures, modern approach: vote for progress, vote for Joe

Joe Cronin - Independent Candidate
Endorsed by The Climate Party

www.theclimate.party

joeindependentpoole@gmail.com