A former Labour MP fighting to regain the St Albans seat believes more training for doctors and nurses is “vital”.

Kerry Pollard, who has lived in St Albans for 47 years, was the city’s MP from 1997 until 2005 when Conservative Anne Main took the seat.

According the Mr Pollard, Mrs Main got the Brexit debate “completely wrong” as a Leave campaigner, and believes freedom of movement is something we need to continue.

He said: “It’s a good feature that we’re a welcoming country: we grow together, we work together, and often we pray together and that’s the way we ought to continue.

“It’s been good for the UK.”

Outside Brexit, Mr Pollard believes the area needs a teaching hospital, linked with training at the University of Hertfordshire, to ensure the health service is better resourced rather than “poaching” staff from other countries.

On transport, Mr Pollard believes the train service in St Albans is “groaning” and that with 20,000 people commuting a day, renationalisation will mean more trains and the tracks are better maintained.

Of the controversial rail freight site in Park Street, he said: “There is enough land there to take care of the housing needs of St Albans for the next 10 years,” taking pressure off other green belt land.

Mr Pollard also hopes to re-establish his former Parliamentary All-Party Small Business Group to support councils dealing with small businesses, as they are “vital” to jobs and prosperity.

He said: “We are a country of inventors but then our inventions are taken elsewhere.

“If we invent here we should build and grow here.”

Mr Pollard believes the people of St Albans should give them his vote as he has “given his life” to them.

He said: “Nobody else comes anywhere near matching the level of service I’ve given to St Albans, even adding them all together.”