Campaign diary: Here's what Hertsmere's parliamentary candidates have been up to

Labour party candidate: Richard Butler

Housing is in the biggest crisis in a generation. Young people have been priced out of both home ownership and the rental market. Fewer affordable houses are being built and homelessness and rough sleeping is rising. A Labour government will ensure at least 200,000 new homes a year are built by 2020, with first priority for local first time buyers.

The Tories policy to extend the right-to-buy to all housing association tenants as well as being totally absurd financially will make matters worse with fewer properties available for those on Council waiting lists. Any replacement houses certainly won’t be built in high cost areas like Hertsmere.

Currently those living in privately rented homes have minimal security, with landlords able to arbitrarily increase rents and evict tenants on a whim. I met someone last week who was evicted for washing a pair of socks in the bathroom.

A Labour government will provide security for renters by guaranteeing three-year tenancies with a ceiling on excessive rent rises and banning unfair letting fees. I have myself been homeless reliant on friends and family to provide a sofa for a few days before moving on, so I do appreciate the fear and stress that those who are homeless and under threat of homelessness feel.

Local residents tells us they understand the need for more houses locally but they are angry that very few are being built that they or their children can afford.

Conservative candidate: Oliver Dowden

Thursday & Friday – Potters Bar and Bushey – Spoke to residents outside Potters Bar and Bushey train station respectively about our fantastic policy announcement to freeze rail fares for the duration of the next parliament. There will be no inflation busting rail fare increase under a majority Conservative government.

Saturday - Bushey – Speaking to residents about the latest full in unemployment, in Hertsmere alone unemployment has fallen by 50% since 2010, while across the UK 2 million jobs have been created since. Britain’s employment miracle continues to make us the jobs factory of Europe.

Sunday – Borehamwood – Campaigning throughout Borehamwood and speaking to residents about our great policy announcement to allow housing association tenants to purchase their homes. Many people I spoke to where excited by the prospect of realising the dream of owing their own home and having something to pass onto their children and grandchildren.

Tuesday – Shenley – A beautiful sunny day for our day of campaigning in the wonderful village of Shenley. Many residents whom I spoke to where concerned, including Labour supporters, of Ed Miliband getting into No 10 through some kind of deal with Nicola Sturgeon and having the Scottish Nationalists pulling the strings. It would be here in England that we would suffer from more borrowing, more debt and more spending because of this deal.

UK Independence Party candidate Frank Ward and Liberal Democrat candidate Sophie Bowler did not respond to requests for a diary.