UK-BASED doctors and nurses should be trained for free and illegal drugs should be decriminalised, according to the independent candidate in Basingstoke.

Alan Stone, who will be standing with no party allegiance in this Thursday's election, says that political parties have "torn apart manifesto promises", resulting in people not trusting politicians.

As part of its coverage of the general election, the Gazette is looking at the manifestos of all of the candidates that are standing in the area.

Previously, we spoke to all five of the candidates standing in Basingstoke, and you can read them here.

Basingstoke candidates

Mr Stone, who described himself as a "55-year-old self-employed antiques dealer who has lived and worked locally for 50 years", has stood for the seat before, winning 3 per cent of the vote as the UKIP candidate in 2017, after previously taking 15.6 per cent in 2015.

He was also due to be the agent of Brexit Party candidate Caroline Gladwin, before she had to stand down after leader Nigel Farage's decision to not stand in Conservative-held seats.

In his manifesto, Mr Stone address five key areas: housing, health, drugs, climate change and trust.

At the Gazette's hustings, he spoke in favour of a no-deal Brexit.

NHS

Mr Stone says that the NHS "is the envy of the world", but is suffering from "a crisis born of its own success". His plan is to stamp out unnecessary use which he says is swamping the "excellent clinical staff". This will involve teaching first aid to all school children and improving health of people.

"Some responsibilities lie with the individual not the state," he says, adding that UK-based doctors and nurses should be free and a priority. "We must end our reliance on imported hospital staff."

Housing

There are simple solutions to the housing crisis, according to Mr Stone, saying the problem is not the number but the affordability of homes. Saving for deposits should be encouraged from an early age, whilst house-sharing schemes would "share the burden" and reduce loneliness.

Drugs

Mr Stone says there is a "definite link" between drugs and homelessness. He says that taking criminality out of drugs will take billions of pounds out of dealers' hands. This will then allow for the social elements to be tackled.

Other policies

Mr Stone says: "Climate change is happening. Our government must make laws that suit our environment, not the businesses that donate to political parties."

He adds that after the last three years, people don't trust politicians. "Both the Conservatives and Labour have torn apart manifesto promises to leave the EU and then negotiate a trade deal," Mr Stone says. "Manifesto commitments should be law."