Meet the six parliamentary candidates standing in Chichester

In the last general election, Conservative Gillian Keegan was elected with a majority of 21,490.

Here are the candidates…

​n Gillian Keegan, Conservative

Having served as your Member of Parliament since 2017 I have always prioritised delivery for our fantastic community.

Whether that’s securing £56 million to stop sewage discharges, securing ventilators for St Richard’s during the pandemic, saving three small village schools from closure or successfully campaigning for our new School of Nursing and Allied Health now training the next generation of NHS professionals in Chichester.

If elected I will continue to fight to get the best deal for Chichester. This includes holding Southern Water to account for their unacceptable pollution of our waterways, and ensuring our Lib Dem District Council does its job and ends speculative housing development.

At this election the country faces a choice between the Conservatives or Labour. Whoever wins, Chichester needs a strong voice with a track record and the necessary experience to stand up for you. I am the only candidate who can do this having delivered as your MP, during my business career and as Education Secretary in Government. I hope that on 4th July you will re-elect me as Chichester’s champion in Westminster.

n Thomas Collinge, Labour

I grew up Midhurst and two things about our area shaped how I think about politics and why I want to be your MP. The beauty of our environment and how too many hardworking people don’t have the support to get on in life.

I’ve spent the last decade in the media, charities and, eventually, politics. I’ve processed the data which shows the harm that Conservatives did to the nation’s growth and the hardship their poor decision making inflicts on families. We must invest in our infrastructure, public services and high streets so we can thrive again, and we must ensure that opportunity is open to everyone. My enduring passion is our fields and forests, seas and rivers. The slow-motion tragedy of sewage dumping in our rivers and seas has to stop. You shouldn’t have to worry about whether it’s safe for your kids to swim in the sea or paddle in a river. I’m proud of Labour’s tough policy on pollution – including criminal prosecution for water execs.

I know voters in Chichester want change, but it’s about more than change for change’s sake. We have a chance to be part of a moment of national renewal. Labour will change the country for the better. We can be part of it.

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n Jess Brown-Fuller, Liberal Democrats

Chichester deserves a LOCAL MP who will put our constituency first.

As someone who’s lived in this area since I was 9, graduated from The University of Chichester, and now shops here, works here, is bringing up my own family here, and talks to a lot of residents all over the constituency – I feel really proud to be part of this community. My motivation in standing to be MP for Chichester constituency is simply to make a positive difference for everyone who lives here. Local people may already know me for my volunteer contributions, my work in the community, or as a cabinet member of the District Council, as a choir master, as a trustee of Chichester Festival Theatre or perhaps from when I was chair of MADhurst. Or maybe we’ve talked when I’ve been knocking on doors across the constituency. People tell me they want a hard-working, visible and compassionate local MP who really knows and our area; will fight for our local NHS, to stop wrong housing development, and to truly address sewage dumping in our rivers, harbour and sea. I can promise that's exactly what I'd be. As MP for Chichester, it will be my privilege to fight for A FAIR DEAL for every member of our community. I want A BRIGHTER FUTURE for all of our residents and I’m ruthless about PUTTING CHICHESTER constituency FIRST.

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n Tim Young, Green Party

The climate crisis, and the realisation that the mainstream parties would never take meaningful action, spurred lifelong Chichester District resident, Tim Young to get actively involved in Green politics. He is passionate about local issues and tirelessly campaigns for a greener, fairer future; persuading and influencing decision makers, whether it’s against oil drilling in the Downs or sewage in our rivers and harbour. Young has represented Chichester South on Chichester District Council since May 2023 and sits on the Environment Panel. His degree in politics and career in business have prepared him for the pressure of parliament. His job selling large-scale solar energy projects to industry, gives Young an extra level of insight when speaking about climate change, energy policy and how the Green Industrial Revolution can work in practice. He lives in Easebourne with his wife and two children and is happiest when he’s outdoors: walking, running or mountain biking on the South Downs. Young’s message to voters is: Forget tactical voting and vote Green to send a message to the next government that we need immediate action on the environment before it’s too late.

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n Teresa DeSantis, Reform UK

I’m Teresa DeSantis, and I am the Reform UK PPC for Chichester. Born in the US, I moved to the UK in 1981. As a single parent, I built a diverse career, managing operations across the UK and Norway for prestigious French toiletries company, and later spearheading business development for an international headhunting firm in the dotcom boom.

In 2004, my husband Matt and I purchased a charming riverside pub, embracing a new chapter in our lives. We relocated to Chichester 10 years ago, where we've been renovating our home and enjoying the vibrant coastal lifestyle. In 2016, I joined the Brexit Party, campaigning tirelessly and standing as a PPC for Chichester. I'm dismayed to see Brexit opportunities squandered and am determined to challenge Westminster’s complacency and advocate for Chichester’s interests. This election is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to save Britain. The Conservatives have led us to financial collapse, with public services, energy, and health sectors in crisis. Reform UK is different; our team is composed of experienced businesspeople, not career politicians. We will rebuild by investing in industry, scrapping HS2, and strengthening our armed forces. Reform UK will secure Britain’s future as a free, proud, and independent nation.

n Dr Andrew Emerson, Independent

I am a highly qualified and experienced healthcare professional and published author with an earnt doctoral degree, who has lived in Chichester for more than 30 years.

I am the only candidate at this election who is independent of any political party machine or multimillionaire leader and accountable solely to you, the voters of Chichester. I am also the only candidate who has opted to have my full home address shown on the ballot paper. If you, like me, believe that reducing immigration to the thousands, not the tens of thousands, is our first priority, lend me your vote on polling day and help to make it happen. This is vitally necessary because of all the adverse effects of immigration on the opportunities available for local people in terms of housing, jobs and access to public services such as the NHS and school places. If immigration, both illegal and legal, were to be ended, house prices and rents would become more affordable and the natural environment protected from excessive building on greenfield sites, as demand for new housing would decline. You would even be able to find an NHS dentist. English Lives Matter. Chichester People First! Vote Emerson.