FOLLOWING the terror attacks in Manchester and London the topic of debate for the general election has swung towards national security, we asked the candidates for Stroud MP for their views.

We issued the same question to each candidate, with the limitation of a brief response, factoring in the events in London on March 22 and June 3, and Manchester on May 22.

Our question was:

If you are elected on June 8, and in light of the attacks in Manchester and London, what would be your approach to national security?

Labour and Co-operative candidate David Drew listed a four point plan, he said: “We need to employ 10,000 more police officers to stop the cuts of the previous seven years and ally this with valuing public service workers who put their lives on the line when there is an outrage.

“We must equip GCHQ with sufficient resources to deal with the cyber threat we face linked with proper accountability of internet users with the companies sharing information promptly but with appropriate safeguards in place.

“We need to educate the public to be aware of potential terrorism threats without undermining trust and confidence in the functioning of our democracy. 

“And we must rethink our foreign policy recognising that ill-thought out interventions in Iraq, Libya and Syria have not just had catastrophic results in those countries but also in the West including the UK.”

The MP for the past seven years, Conservative Neil Carmichael, said: “The terrorist threat is brutal, indiscriminate and a direct attack on our values, we must never yield to it.

“We must ensure our security agencies and police services are sharing all intelligence, work with our international allies to stop the flow of resources and take new powers to break terrorist communication links, including social media.

“We must also develop the PREVENT strategy and we need more information about the formation of terrorist cells at home and abroad.”

Green Party candidate Sarah Lunnon, running in her second general election, said: “The roots of Islamic fundamentalism need to be addressed.

“This is being done in the UK through the PREVENT programme, yet there is also a need to address who is funding international Islamic extremism.

“The government should publish its report into the funding of jihadi groups and act on it - even if we lose the ability to profit from selling weapons to repressive regimes.

“The government must also ensure our security services are funded - to end austerity - and operate with judicial overview.

“We need to understand and then address why individuals are willing to commit acts of terror.”

Ukip’s Glen Gogerly said: “If I am elected on June 8 I will work hard to get UKIP’s funding commitments on policing, the armed forces and the security services implemented.

“We need 20,000 more police and 4,000 border officers. I have been on patrol with Stroud Police, I know how thin the thin blue line is.

“We need to retain our security personnel at GCHQ I would fight to remove the 1 per cent pay cap.

“Otherwise we will lose good people from this vital service, funding is key.”

Liberal Democrat candidate Max Wilkinson, said: "The nature of these 'low tech, marauding attacks' using everyday items like vans and knives, makes them difficult to predict, so having a well-trained police force ready to be deployed is key.

"Liberal Democrats would put more police on the beat and, although the involvement or otherwise of the internet is not known in this case, we would work with tech companies like Facebook and Whatsapp on how they might help.

"But all of this action must take place in with an awareness that our hard-won freedoms cannot be given up, or the terrorists will have won."

To view our final summaries on each candidate pick up a copy of the Stroud News and Journal on Wednesday or the Gloucestershire Gazette on Thursday.

A compilation of 60-second pitch videos will also be available on both websites from 8am on Wednesday.