Monique Bonney has surprised many by entering the race to become MP.

News only broke when her name appeared in the list of nominations published on Thursday for Sittingbourne and Sheppey as an Independent.

Readers may recall the Swale councillor had to be rescued by firefighters after getting stuck in a lift in Swale House with fellow Cllr June Garrard when it broke down after a council meeting in 2017.

The 46-year-old businesswoman is no stranger to campaigning. She chairs the Five Parishes Opposition Group against extra housing around Kent Science Park and has a strong track record of representing constituents in West Downs.

She decided enough was enough after trouble getting an emergency GP appointment.

She said: "Our NHS care is one of the worst in the country. Our patient/GP ratio was recently stated to be the worst in England. It took three days for me to get an emergency appointment! This must change."

She backs Brexit, which could be welcome news for fellow supporters who don't like the Conservatives. They have been left in the lurch after The Brexit Party pulled out of Sittingbourne and Sheppey.

She insisted: "We should once again be a sovereign nation. For most of us joining the Common Market meant just that – a trading partnership, not a political strait-jacket."

She added: "You may think it is a wasted vote for an Independent but that’s exactly what the Conservatives said in the Swale elections in May - and look what happened to them!"

Read more: All the latest news from the Isle of Sheppey

Read more: All the latest news from Sittingbourne

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