Sunny Virk last stood as the West Midlands Mayoral candidate where his key policy was to build more social and affordable housing for our young people to help them onto the property ladder, working with businesses to create more jobs, and stopping police station closures.
Sunny is practicing Barrister and lives on the border of Meriden with his wife, son and golden retriever. He has been married for 18 years and states:
“I have built my business, practice and life based on honesty and integrity and will bring the same in my service to the people to Meriden and Solihull East as their MP”.
Liberal Democrat candidate Sunny Virk will be campaigning for
A Permanent Fixed CAP and Reduction to both Mortgage Rates and Energy Prices
Sunny has said he will be taking affirmative action by putting pressure directly on the Bank of England to reduce the base rate; and call for a public enquiry into banks and energy companies which have profiteered from their mortgage products and utility bills during the cost of living crises.
He states “I intend to tackle the cost of living crisis head on by forcing banks and energy companies to repay homeowners and bill payers those profits (via bills and direct debits) putting money back in the pockets of residents to aid directly with the cost of living crisis created by the Conservatives”.
He goes onto say that: “Labour’s economic policy is non-existent and will create as much chaos as they did when leaving office 2010. The Conservatives have lost all moral currency to be able to hold any government to account.
In Meriden and Solihull East, the Lib Dems are the natural choice for voters”.
Stop the Solihull Police Station Closure
Sunny will ensure that the Police Station in Solihull remains open. The Tories have used the closure of the Police Station by the Labour PCC as a political football and despite having a local Conservative authority, a national Conservative government, two Members of Parliament in the region, and a previous Conservative West Midlands Mayor; they were incapable of guaranteeing that our only Police Station would not close.
Sunny states that: “Labour have made the decision that the Police Station will close and a Labour win in Meriden and Solihull East will see this closure come to fruition. A vote for the Liberal Democrats is the only way of ensuring our Police Station remains open.”
Building more Social and Affordable Housing.
The Liberal Democrats have budgeted and announced that they will be building 150,000 more social and affordable housing.
Sunny states that “this housing is key for our young people and their future as much as having a good career and education. I want to see more wealth in your hands and best way to do this is get people on the housing ladder. This ensures that we all benefit.”
Stop Sewage Leakage by Taking Immeidate Injuctions on Water Compnaies and Forcing Proportionate Repayments on Customer Bills
For years, our area has been taken for granted by an out-of-touch Conservative Government that has failed to get the basics right and lurched from crisis to crisis - now it’s time for a change.
Sunny states that: “water companies have been allowed to pump their filthy sewage into our rivers. All this by a Conservative government more interested in fighting between themselves than standing up for the country. I am a strong advocate of fines against water companies that pollute of rivers and lakes; and more strongly prosecution proceedings of senior officials that allow such things to happen.”
Sunny goes onto say that: “water companies have added amount to bills for either waste water disposal or treatment. I want see that proportion of the bill refunded to customers in my constituency.”
Lib Dems will be hiring 8,000 more GPs over five years, to ensure each and every one of you can see their GP within 7 days or 24 hours if urgent.
Sunny Virk, along with his Lib Dem colleagues, have put in place a five-year plan to give patients in Meriden and Solihull East a right to see their GP within a week or 24-hours if in urgent need. This will be in the Liberal Democrat General Election manifesto.
Under the Lib Dems, every single patient will have the right to see their GP within seven days. Sunny has said that the “this Conservative government has “abandoned local health services” and he now calls for a “fair deal for this community’s patients”.
This is why the Liberal Democrats have, on 24th May 2024, announced that their five-year plan to give patients in Meriden and Solihull East a legal right to see a GP within a week or 24-hours if in urgent need will be in their General Election manifesto.
Sunny has said that “under the Liberal Democrats patients will no longer be left waiting for an appointment and risk their conditions getting worse.
The Party will deliver the plan by:
(1) Increasing the number of full-time equivalent GPs by 8,000, half by boosting recruitment and half from retaining more experienced GPs.
(2) Freeing up GPs’ time by giving more prescribing rights and public health advisory services to qualified pharmacists, nurse practitioners and paramedics.
(3) Introducing a universal 24/7 GP booking system.
(4) Removing top-down bureaucracy to let practices hire the staff they need and invest in training.
Reduce Ambulance & NHS Waiting Times
Sunny has said that “the Government’s failure to tackle the crisis in our NHS is letting down people in Meriden and Solihull East and putting patients’ lives at risk. I don’t’ believe the Conservative either care or are even able to grasp the scale of this problem. Also, I cannot see that a Conservative government that would engage in party-gate or over the PPE scandal could care for people or patients.”
“Far too many people in Meriden and Solihull East are having to wait far too long to get the treatment they need. In many cases, this is literally a matter of life or death. People in our area deserve far better. The current state of affairs is unacceptable and heart-breaking.
On the NHS Sunny state that: “Our NHS isn't just at breaking point - it’s splitting at its very seams. We need action from the Conservatives. I am asking the people in Meriden and Solihull East to lend me their vote and I will be: Releasing money to help discharge patients from hospitals, and launch a campaign to recruit the extra paramedics and ambulance staff we need.”
On Farming
Sunny Virk has declared that “the rural vote is with the Lib Dems; and the Lib Dems are doing more to support farming business and families. Farming and town communities have voted for Lib Dem MPs in by-elections in Tiverton & Honiton, Somerton & Frome and North Shropshire as well as councils in Dorset and Stratford Upon Avon.”
Sunny has said that “the Government is failing to recognise farmers are the lifeblood of our rural communities. Agriculture in our country supports so many industries and businesses including feed suppliers, engineering companies and even tourism.”
“Meanwhile, rural services have been cut to the bone and those with off grid heating had to often wait longer to get the same help as anyone else.”
“Farmers are still being left behind with basic payments being slashed and ELMS not covering the biting cost of living. The rural vote will be critical in sending a message to the Conservative Government that farmers will not be taken for granted.”
Green Deal – A Flourishing environment with fair access to nature for all.
Sunny has said that “everyone should be able to enjoy the benefit of our wonderful natural environment, and our children should inherit the future they deserve. The climate and nature emergencies are the most pressing threats to prosperity facing the UK and the world.
We must act now by Investing, contrary to Tory belief, in Green technologies and skills training, and taking a new approach to farming and the countryside. Better Green energy will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels; and take power away from countries such as Russia.
The UK can lead the world with innovation and ingenuity, while boosting the economy and enhancing everyone’s quality of life.”
Lib Dems to create £10,000 skills wallet for every adult
The Liberal Democrats will put £4,000 into people’s ‘Skills Wallet’ at 25, £3,000 at 40 and another £3,000 at 55. The grants have been designed to encourage saving towards the costs of education and training throughout adult life.
Individuals, their employers and local government will be able to make additional payments into the wallets. Access to free careers guidance will also be provided.
Sunny has echoed the policy for Meriden and Solihull East residents and said that: “Working hard should mean secure work and a decent income, but for too many people that’s not the case. In an ever-changing workplace people often need to develop new skills, but the cost of courses and qualifications shuts too many people out.
Neither the Conservatives and Labour have the answers to these challenges. They are stuck pursuing 20th-century policies that simply won’t work in our 21st-century economy. They would take our country backwards.
Only the Liberal Democrats have a real plan to build a fairer economy and a brighter future. We will create a new era of learning throughout adult life with Skills Wallets for every individual, providing them with £10,000 to spend on education and training at various stages of their lives.”
The Solihull and Meriden Liberal Democrats represent Liberal Democrat Members, Volunteers, Campaigners, Councillors and Candidates within the Local Authority area of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, and the two Parliamentary Constituencies of Solihull and Meriden.
Liberal Democrats in Solihull and Meriden have a long record of action for the community, fighting hard for local residents on issues that are important to them.
