Biography

Graeme Quar is a solicitor with over a decade experience in the political process as a campaign manager and agent for city council and county council candidates. He believes that the House of Commons would be more representative of society if it had more Independent MPs.

Graeme has held many significant voluntary positions including being a member of a children’s hospice fundraising committee and the British Olympics fundraising committee. He has been a Council member for South East Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and a governor of the Fareham College of Further Education. Graeme is an Ambassador for the Send a Cow charity,

Graeme has lived with his wife and four children in the Meon Valley for several years and has his own business based in Hampshire.

Main Issues

Policing

We must invest more in community policing.  Different communities have different law and order challenges.  We should continue to encourage our police forces to work within the community implementing policies tailor made for their local beat. I acknowledge that some criminal activities (eg drug trafficking, financial fraud) need a national task force.

Social Services

There is no doubt that a civilised society should have a safety net for the poorest and less capable members of the community. However, too often the system rewards those best at playing the system rather than those that desperately need the system. The Government must be constantly reviewing and developing social services to assist those that require support.

Tax

Tax is not the Government's money it is ours. Wage earners are much better at spending their own money than the Government. I support the objective of a low tax economy giving encouragement to earn more and allowing us to spend more of our money on what we want to spend it on.  Government is very good at wasting our money.

Enviroment

We must adapt our lives and behaviour to lessen the damage that we do to our environment.  Recycling, less waste products, new technologies must be encouraged. I prefer innovation and encouragement rather than punishment and taxation to encourage us all to change our lifestyles.

Local Issues

Public Transport

For residents in the villages scattered around the Meon Valley without their own car there is a real difficulty in getting around. 

The bus service operators will argue that without sufficient passengers these services are not economical. I would support a campaign to demonstrate to the bus operators that there is sufficient demand to make more frequent services commercially viable.

Highway Potholes

The harsh weather conditions in December and January have left many Meon Valley roads and lanes with potholes and uneven surfaces. Vehicle owners are suffering damage to tyres and suspensions by reason of the state of the roads.

Hampshire County Council must be encouraged to ensure it has a sufficient annual budget to be in a position to promptly repair roadways following the winter months.