Because I’m standing as an independent I would be answerable only to the Braintree constituents.

One of my main priorities is parliamentary reform.

Parliament is not representative of the views of British people – we need proportional representation.

I would still encourage people to vote for their favourite candidate and not worry about ‘wasting their vote’.

Every vote is important, and the fewer people who vote for the main parties, the more pressure there will be to change to a fairer voting system.

Another priority is to reduce inequality and poverty. We need to end austerity and stop welfare cuts, by raising taxes for those that can afford it.

We also need to raise the minimum wage and build more social housing as a first step towards nationalising the housing rental market.

We need to renationalise energy, so we can commit resources to renewable energy and fight climate change without worrying about profit.

We also need to renationalise public transport and create a world-class system to reduce congestion on the roads and pollution.

We urgently need the Cressing Loop to allow for two trains an hour.

Finally, we need to reform criminal justice. Prison should be a last resort, and we should focus on prevention and rehabilitation rather than punishment for its own sake.