Fiona Mills

Live, one-hour webchat with Fiona Mills, Ukip's parliamentary candidate for Carlisle

3rd & 7 37yd

Lupus - I do not believe for one moment our members are supporters are anti-foreigners. We need immigration, especially skilled workers and entrepreneurs. I work in the health service and we are really short of doctors so we are actively trying to recruit them from abroad. We need to train more doctors and nurses at home.

by Ian, News & Star 4/22/2015 11:37:13 AM
I want to vote ukip in both the local and general election but feel I will be an advantage to labour which I don't want, so might vote ukip in local then conservative

by stevo 4/22/2015 11:37:31 AM
Mrs P - I have already said we oppose parking charges, we would like to see 2 hours free parking. We will also reduce business rates by 20% to encourage new businesses. Additionally, we would like to reduce the bureaucracy and red tape facing small businesses which is largely enforced by the EU.

by Ian, News & Star 4/22/2015 11:39:04 AM
Following on from your reply to Brenda - which policies exactly will address the issues of staff recruiting and increased activity at the Cumberland Infirmary? What do you personally plan on doing?

by Jeff 4/22/2015 11:39:10 AM
Do you go to church often?

by Dick Byrne 4/22/2015 11:39:53 AM
Stevo - Please believe if you vote Ukip, you will get Ukip. There are a lot of silent Ukip voters out there. We won the last two Parliamentary by elections and nearly won Heywood and Middleton (lost by 617 votes) which was considered a safe Labour seat. Vote with your conscience!

by Ian, News & Star 4/22/2015 11:40:34 AM
Should there not be more support for sufferers of domestic violence?

by Mary O'Leary 4/22/2015 11:42:04 AM
Jeff - We are going to train more doctors in Britain and will encourage this by removing tuition fees for medicine degrees and increasing the training places. We will also encourage those who have left the profession back to practice by paying for their retraining. We will also improve working conditions so we do not see our trained doctors leaving for Canada and Australia. As I have said I am a member of the health advisers group and have real influence with Louise Bours MEP.

by Ian, News & Star 4/22/2015 11:43:19 AM
How will leaving the EU affect buisiness, at the moment they don't need to pay import or customs duties while trading within the EU

by Alan Simpson 4/22/2015 11:43:22 AM
Dick - Mainly weddings and christenings I have to admit but 3 years ago, when I lost my mum I must admit I did go to church every Sunday for a month. It provided me with some comfort.

by Ian, News & Star 4/22/2015 11:44:16 AM
Do you think it right that homosexuals can marry?

by Tish Guppy 4/22/2015 11:44:25 AM
Mary - Of course. All sufferers of domestic violence should be supported. The difficulty is finding the appropriate the source of support. There are third sector organisations out there to help and if issues are mental health related we will help by investing more in mental health services.

by Ian, News & Star 4/22/2015 11:45:49 AM
surely immigration has put pressure on the nhs

by stevo 4/22/2015 11:45:57 AM
Tish - I think people should be free to love and have relationships with whomever they choose and I support civil partnerships.

by Ian, News & Star 4/22/2015 11:46:31 AM
Do you think the government should do more to support local media, such as tax breaks?

by Nathan Barley 4/22/2015 11:46:52 AM
So you support civil partnerships but NOT gay marriage?

by Hmmm 4/22/2015 11:47:39 AM
Stevo - Yes, immigration has put pressure on the NHS. We have between 5 and 7 million more people in this country. This is one of the reasons why we cannot sustain 300,000 people coming to the UK every year. That is 3x the population of Carlisle and would require 3 hospitals and all of the associated services.

by Ian, News & Star 4/22/2015 11:47:51 AM
Nathan - Obviously we value local news but I am not really aware of the issue so will have to look into it further. Are small media companies facing difficulties?

by Ian, News & Star 4/22/2015 11:50:02 AM
What can be done to improve the music scene of Carlisle? Do we need a decent venue?

by Doug Rocket 4/22/2015 11:50:22 AM
you got my vote good luck

by stevo 4/22/2015 11:51:19 AM
Hmmm - Each to their own really.

by Ian, News & Star 4/22/2015 11:51:36 AM
How do voters know what they're going to get with UKIP? There have been some contradictions, ie claiming to be against TTIP while at the same time you MEPs voted for it.

by JJ 4/22/2015 11:52:59 AM
Doug - I am a huge live music fan and would like to see the type of venue which would attract more bands. Are you going to develop one?

by Ian, News & Star 4/22/2015 11:53:00 AM
Stevo - Thanks!

by Ian, News & Star 4/22/2015 11:53:06 AM
Where does Ukip stand with regards to free movement in the opposite direction? If someone goes to live in France/Spain/Germany for 10 years or so, how long would they have to wait to claim from the state, given they haven't been paying taxes in that time but are still a British citizen?

by Frankie 4/22/2015 11:53:51 AM
JJ - Regrading TTIP, I was jumping up and down about this over a year ago. It is a treaty between the EU and US. Ukip wants to leave the EU and negotiate our own trade deals. There is no way we would agree a treaty which would allow US corporations to sue us for not allowing them to bid for certain contracts. I was worried for the NHS a year ago re TTIP and highlighted this.

by Ian, News & Star 4/22/2015 11:55:23 AM
Hi, Since the UKIP candidate is Zimbabwean by birth, how does she feel that after benefiting from the British taxpayers for her health and education, she now want's to deny others the same opportunities she enjoyed?

by The Rock 4/22/2015 11:55:32 AM
Loving your responses, fancy a drink sometime?

by Al Spear 4/22/2015 11:56:18 AM
Frankie - My brother is precisely in that situation! I am not sure of the detail but will check.

by Ian, News & Star 4/22/2015 11:58:25 AM
The Rock - I was only born in Zimbabwe, an accident of birth. My mum was from Glasgow, my dad from Kent. I have lived and paid taxes in Carlisle for most of my life.

by Ian, News & Star 4/22/2015 11:59:34 AM
Al - Too busy to even go out for a drink at the moment!!

by Ian, News & Star 4/22/2015 12:00:00 PM
You talk about the NHS being the top issue of the election... I don't want to know about Ukip's policies though. I want to know what YOU would do to sort out the nightmare that is our hospitals?

by Jane 4/22/2015 12:00:32 PM
Jane - Personally, I am doing everything I can to sort it out by directly influencing policy. I work in the NHS because I am passionate about improving services for patients and getting value for money for the taxpayer. In my job I always strive to invest in equipment and new services where they are needed despite the obvious constraints. I think NHS policy has been too short temist. We need to plan properly for the future and invest now. Ukip has committed £3bn a year extra for front-line services and we will save a further £2bn on health tourism plus (if I get my way) further billions on a reduction in management and bureaucracy. This will all be ploughed back in to clinical services.

by Ian, News & Star 4/22/2015 12:06:04 PM
Did you ever get those banners back? Have you found a new home for them?

by George 4/22/2015 12:06:43 PM
George - Yes, we did get the banners back and we have found a new home for them! Watch out for them!

by Ian, News & Star 4/22/2015 12:07:48 PM
That's the end of my webchat. Thank you for your questions. A bit of bed time reading - here is our full manifesto.

by Ian, News & Star 4/22/2015 12:08:51 PM
Thanks all - and thanks Fiona for taking part. We're winding up now after a busy hour. More webchats soon. Please see our website for details. Anne

by anne.pickles 4/22/2015 12:10:37 PM