Former MP Peter Bone stumbles into vox pop on Wellingborough by-election priorities - and he's the only one to mention stopping the boats

Interviews are often used by our reporters to find out what the people on the street are thinking but it’s not often that the trigger for that vox pop turns up to add their own opinion.

As the Northants Telegraph asked members of the public in Rushden High Street to prioritise issues for the next MP, the former incumbent Peter Bone appeared.

In the town on a lunch date, the former MP – dumped by voters after a recall petition – was asked what should be top of any new MP’s to do list.

From a choice of town centre regeneration, the NHS, tackling knife crime or ‘stopping the boats’, Mr Bone was clear on the priority for the next MP.

Placing his sticker firmly in the ‘stopping the boats’ box, he said: “All those are absolute priorities but this is my top one. The unfairness of people coming in illegally. People pay their taxes, do everything here legally and abide by the rules. The people coming here shouldn’t be here. They are getting free health treatment, free education and board and lodging and they don’t think it’s fair.”

But other pensioners had different priorities.

Michael Taylor, 78, who has diabetes has been trying to get an appointment at a specialist clinic since November 2023.

He said: “I cannot get a doctor’s appointment. There isn’t a way of dealing with it. You can keep phoning up, I don’t know who the people who are responsible to for getting the job done properly. “Simply I want them (the new MP) to reinstate a decent GP service."

Peter Rayner, 83, said: “The NHS is in such a bad state at the moment. It’s every aspect – I worry for the future.”

Mum-of-two Adina Ciurcune, 27, agreed the priority was also the NHS adding although she doesn’t use the service often, she wanted it working in case ‘something happened’.

Rushden Lakes worker Nilubon Milburn, 38, echoed that the NHS’s importance.

She said: “It’s not just physical health, mental health is a big thing nowadays.”

Half of the residents surveyed lamented the state of the town centre and said their priority was regeneration of the high street.

Angela Woods, 52, praised the once diverse town centre’s remaining shops especially Osborne’s toy shop.

She said: “The shop keepers are all so friendly. The priority is the town centre with the NHS a close second. I appreciate The (Rushden) Lakes but the older generation, like my mum, need the town centre. The shuttle bus was great and the bingo (now closed) brought people into the town centre.”

Alex Jeyes, 47, owner of La Estrella Tapas Bar said stopping knife crime and regeneration were linked.

He said: “For me the town centre regeneration and knife crime go hand in hand. You have kids stamping on car windscreens and nothing being done about it. Junkies keep coming back and smashing into shops. Idiots stabbing each other. I saw the town centre PCSO for the first time in six months this week.

“We need more restaurants, cafes, and bars.”

Dianna Eves, 81, who moved to Rushden in 1972 would be firmly behind town centre regeneration.

She said: “It’s gone downhill. If you go down College Street it’s a dump. There’s no fashion shops here anymore – Rushden Lakes is too expensive.”

As well as Peter Bone in the High Street, his partner and Conservative party by-election candidate Helen Harrison was also in town. She put her marker in the ‘town centre regeneration’ box – a priority she says she had heard from residents.

Ms Harrison said: “I’ll be honest, this is what is being raised with me on the doorsteps. They are really concerned about the state of the High Street it’s not just regeneration, it’s anti-social behaviour and criminal activity taking place.”

This left Mr Bone the lone voice choosing ‘stop the small boats’ as the priority for his former Wellingborough area constituents.

Voter go to the polls on Thursday, February 15. For a full list of the candidates click here.