My name is Maddison Wheeldon and I am the Independent MP candidate for my hometown, Warrington North. Growing up as a child of the military, moving around the country, gave me such an insight into the differences, from north to south, in our communities and the unique issues affecting each, as well as those that are shared. This is why I truly believe that we need local voices and a locally-driven agenda of policy, to ensure that no one is left feeling unseen and unheard by their MP and their government.

I am a single mother of two young girls, aged 7 and 2, which I have found to be the ultimate catalyst for my mission to push for a better society and enable better future outcomes for the young people of today. They will be inheriting so much dysfunction and will be left to pay the price for our failure today to really prioritise finding solutions, with parties instead focused on stoking further division and hate in our communities.

“My journey and experience in talking with residents of my hometown have shown me that it isn’t the issues that divide us as people, it is the parties.”

I am a long-time socialist, with a deep passion for understanding the underlying causes and factors that lead to the issues we see in our society today. I have always loved engaging with people, hearing their stories and trying to spread some positivity and warmth to those that I meet, at a time when that is so absent in people’s lives.

This passion drove me to pursue the study of law and criminology, to strengthen that ability to delve into those issues and explore the ways in which we could really change and improve the way in which we tackle them.

I recognise, unlike many politicians today, that it is through having a variety of perspectives that we can have a richer, healthier and more vibrant democracy, informed by all views.

 Ultimately, if I can’t respect another’s perspective, providing that safe space for debate and discussion, then I can’t expect my own perspective to be respected in return. We need to find comfort in having alternative views, and come together in the issues that affect all of our lives, in some way or another.

I understand the challenges facing single parents, families and the vulnerable in our society, who are struggling to survive and make ends meet every single day, made astronomically harder by the cost of living crisis – something I prefer to call ‘the cost of greed crisis’.

I needed to see someone who actually cared and meant what they promised, working hard for those they represent. This is ultimately why I put my name forward and why I have refused to give up, despite the challenges I have faced along the way. 

My journey and experience in talking with residents of my hometown have shown me that it isn’t the issues that divide us as people, it is the parties.

The polarisation and tribalism we see as a result of the, arguably anti democratic, first past the post system is breaking the bonds in our society and will inevitably lead to further division, with more and more left feeling disillusioned, unrepresented and left behind.

We have to fight this if we really want to avoid the huge surge to the right that we are seeing across the west, specifically Europe and the over-representation of right wing politics amongst our two main parties.

This is why I am working to introduce peoples assemblies to my constituency, and if i am elected on 4th July, we will start to see bottom-up politics in practice, actual change from day one.

This will ensure that it is the voice of the people that is heard by their MP, rather than the voices of the powerful and those seeking to exploit the people of Warrington North.

We need to put the policy decisions into the hands of those that feel their impact, it is the lived experience and valuable insights of constituents that will ensure that the needs of our hometown, ward by ward, are the priority.

Politics by us, for us.

“Very rarely do you come across a person whose enthusiasm and compassion for her local community, its people and challenges is so infectious”