Women and children have virtually no significant voice in decision-making on these issues, and we must be heard and understood for all our lives to improve. I left the Labour Party when Tony Blair became leader because I did not wish to support his Conservative views. I voted for my Labour MP, Harold Best, in the 1997 election, and will do so again.

I do not wish to see the Conservatives re-elected in my lifetime, nor do I want to see "New Labour" promoting Conservative policies.

Because I am not affiliated with a party, I can speak my mind freely. I am contesting this election in order to expose the secrecy and misinformation surrounding ballistic missile defence and theatre missile defence, which will require upgrading Menwith Hill and Fylingdales, and will affect every other US base in the UK.

The US Space Command's own policy document, Vision for 2020, reveals that their mission is to:

Yet Tony Blair has tried to keep Star Wars off the election agenda, pretending that no decisions have been made, even though the required infrastructure has already been built at Menwith Hill. Only after the election will George Bush visit Europe to discuss the Star Wars plans.

You have the right to know now, before the election, how your Member of Parliament intends to behave.

The Prime Minister should not be able to give the necessary approval by himself. 178 MPs have already signed an Early Day Motion expressing their concern about ballistic missile defence. Mr Blair needs to be reminded that if re-elected, he represents you and the United Kingdom, not George Bush and the expansionist aims of the United States.

Tony Blair's first act in power was to go to Washington, DC to pledge that all US bases would be safe in his hands. This means none of us are safe from America, whose multinational companies and globalisation policies are already making all our lives harder.

Linking Star Wars and Economic Justice:
Globalisation, Health Care and Education

If Star Wars goes ahead, it will increase America's global economic, military and political dominance. This can only be recognised as tyranny, wherein the US insists on free trade under its rules: weakening health and safety regulations, reducing workers' injury compensation, removing the right to collective bargaining, and reducing spending on health, education, public transport, and the police and fire services.

When Mr Blair talks of 'modernising,' what is really in his mind is privatising and ensuring the profits of the private sector. So, when Mr Blair assures us that the National Health Service will always be "free at the point of use, why should we be worried if there is a role for the private sector?" we should all be concerned. Somewhere along the line our tax money will be providing profits to a private company - not reimbursing the NHS. Globalisation means that in this constituency people who have families to educate, feed and house will always get the lowest possible wage for their work.

Here, one has to look no further than Newton Aycliffe to see the effects of domination by multi-national companies. Major manufacturing jobs have gone to overseas workers earning one-sixth of UK wages.

This trend will continue.

Mr Blair should spend more time in Newton Aycliffe, and less time in Islington - then he would see "the special relationship" in practice.

In education, funding and standards are falling. At the last election, as you will all remember, he stated that his first priority was "education, education, education." Well, he was exact - he only had three children then. 

It would have been more honest to say, "fees, fees, fees."

Can you trust this man? No!

Avoiding the Next Arms Race:
Why I Am Willing to Go to Prison

I am not a politician. I want my grandchildren and yours to grow up in a world free from another terrifying arms race.

I will be spending time in prison during this election period because I acted against Menwith Hill, one of the Star Wars bases. I believe this place is exactly the same as a concentration camp - the only difference is that all the people to be harmed live outside the perimeter fence.

On 19 June 2000 I cut through this fence, along with two other women, Anne Lee and Angie Zelter. We caused what the Ministry of Defence has said is £300 worth of damage each. On 21 May 2001 Anne was given two months and I was sentenced to three months in Low Newton Women's Prison, Brasside, Co. Durham, DH1 5SD. (This does not disqualify me from standing as your candidate).

Along with other women peace campaigners, I take pride in following the traditions set by the suffragettes who also went to prison to gain and protect our rights. In my life, I try to apply their slogan, "Deeds Not Words."

I will go on campaigning from within prison, and between now and the next general election. We must protect ourselves from George W. Bush's far right-wing fundamentalist hypocrisy and cruelty.

Tony Blair must not support this man nor his anti-women, anti-labour, anti-environment, pro-militarist agenda. None of us are safe from the forces of globalisation, nor from American exploitation. These go hand in hand with the Star Wars plans.

Beware!