Catherine Becker is the Reform UK prospective parliamentary candidate for the Hampstead and Highgate Constituency. Born in Hampstead, Becker has spent her entire adult life living in West Hampstead and Hampstead.
She emphasizes that her career has been in business rather than politics, focusing on practical solutions to national and local issues rather than traditional political approaches.
Becker is critical of the decades of local Labour leadership in Hampstead and Highgate, which she believes has led to the area's deterioration. Her campaign is centered on several key issues.
Becker notes that Hampstead and Highgate are now among the most crime-ridden areas in London. She advocates for increased funding for frontline police and strategies to tackle crime at its source to ensure safer streets.
Becker criticizes both the Labour and Conservative parties for underinvesting in schools, GP clinics, local transport, and road infrastructure. She supports enhancing amenities for car drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike to create more accessible and safer streets.
While supporting the addition of affordable housing, Becker stresses the need for this to be accompanied by an expansion in local amenities. She cites the development of the O2 centre as an example of inadequate planning and investment by the Labour party.
Becker proposes lowering national and local taxes to make working more attractive and advocates for more responsible spending. She suggests tendering out all contracts to combat cronyism and ensure value for money, along with supporting local businesses and shops with fairer taxes and better employment laws post-Brexit.
She wants to ensure efficient use of council and national taxes on hospitals and schools, including incentives for those who opt for private services.
Becker highlights her active participation in local and national causes, including her role on the local neighbourhood committee and advocacy for diversity and inclusion. She is committed to listening to constituents' concerns and integrating their feedback into her party's policies, contrasting this approach with what she describes as the conformity enforced by other parties.
As the election approaches, Becker positions herself as a viable alternative to the "institutionalised corruption" of the Conservative and Labour parties. She presents Reform UK as offering sensible, thoroughly planned, and cost-effective solutions to fix and invest in Hampstead, West Hampstead, Highgate, and broader national issues.
Becker aims to secure the support of all 77,783 constituents, regardless of their previous political affiliations, by focusing on substantive improvements and accountability.
Reform UK presents itself as a political alternative to the traditional two-party system in Britain, criticizing both the Conservative and Labour parties for their perceived failures. The party positions itself as a champion of common sense, aiming to address the numerous crises it perceives in British society, from immigration and public spending to healthcare and energy policies.
Reform UK proposes a strict limit on non-essential immigration, arguing that it will alleviate pressure on housing, public services, and wages, and protect British culture and values. The party plans to implement a robust strategy to prevent illegal immigration, including detaining and deporting illegal migrants and ending health tourism and immediate access to benefits for new arrivals.
The economic strategy includes significant tax cuts aimed at boosting the income of the working class and incentivizing small businesses. Key measures include raising the income tax threshold, reducing corporation tax for small and medium-sized enterprises, and abolishing certain business taxes to encourage investment and economic growth.
Reform UK seeks to eliminate NHS waiting lists and proposes tax breaks for healthcare workers to address staff shortages. The party advocates for using private healthcare capacity to alleviate the burden on the NHS, suggesting a voucher system for patients facing long wait times.
A controversial aspect of their platform is the rejection of Net Zero carbon goals, which the party claims are economically damaging. Reform UK intends to revive the domestic oil and gas industries, reduce reliance on renewable energy subsidies, and explore new nuclear technology without the constraints of current environmental regulations.
The party pledges to increase police numbers, implement zero tolerance policies on crime, and expedite the deportation of foreign criminals. It also aims to reform the justice system by mandating life sentences for repeat violent offenders and enhancing the budget for criminal justice.
Reform UK calls for significant constitutional reforms, including leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, reforming the House of Lords, and introducing a proportional representation voting system. These changes are aimed at making Britain's political system more democratic and accountable.
Reform UK’s platform is built on a foundation of radical change across multiple sectors of government and society. The party seeks to dismantle what it views as failed policies and replace them with a framework that prioritizes British sovereignty, cultural identity, and economic independence.