Ajaz Rehman, a businessman and Oxford City councillor, has joined the race to become Wycombe’s next MP.

If elected, the 53-year-old father-of-five has promised to try and secure Wycombe its own type 1 A&E unit, tackle food poverty and focus on enforcing parking restrictions.

The son of Pakistani bus driver, Cllr Rehman is the eldest of six siblings – the only one of them not to attend university – and has worked a range of jobs in his life including as a kitchen porter and stint in Royal Mail.

Launching his campaign, the independent called on the people of Wycombe to ‘send a message’ to the main parties by voting for him at the next general election, expected to take place this year.

If successful, Cllr Rehman would replace Wycombe’s longstanding Conservative MP Steve Baker, who has held the seat continually since his election in 2010.

“People are fed up with the Tories, but they don’t trust Labour,” Cllr Rehman tells the Bucks Free Press as he throws his hat into the ring to replace Baker.

READ MORE: Climate Party leader launches bid to be Wycombe MP

The councillor was among a string of Oxford Labour members who quit the party in November over the responses of Labour leader Keir Starmer and the party’s top brass to Israel’s war in Gaza.

Now sitting as an independent in his Lye Valley ward, Cllr Rehman runs his own construction company out of an office in Cressex.

But, considering he was born in Oxford, and has lived there for most of his life, what are the businessman’s links to High Wycombe?

“I have got quite a few friends here and family working here,” says Cllr Rehman, who has also previously campaigned for Labour in Wycombe.

He added: “I stand up for wherever I go. If I win, I will move to Wycombe. Since I have been selected, I have been in Wycombe three or four days a week.”

One of Cllr Rehman’s top priorities would be reintroducing a Type 1 A&E department at Wycombe Hospital after the service was downgraded in 2007.

He said: “At the moment, the A&E that Wycombe has is a Type 3 and that is nothing more than a glorified GP surgery. The minimum that Wycombe should have is a Type 1.”

The election hopeful said he would lead a new campaign to bring the A&E back, getting GPs and other key people onboard.

Taking an aim at Baker, he added: “I would not give up if a minister told me we didn’t have any money.”

The councillor has also pledged to tackle food poverty in Wycombe, saying: “My priority is to get rid of the food banks. We have a big, strong policy we are releasing on that.”

The independent candidate also wants to crack down on inconsiderate parking by trying to increase enforcement, bringing in new bollards and in the long-term, reassessing planning and new housing.

He said: "It is a nightmare for residents. Forget parking outside your house, you can’t park two streets away.”

The other candidates vying to become Wycombe’s next MP are Steve Baker (Conservative), Emma Reynolds (Labour), Toni Brodelle (Liberal Democrats), Reform UK (Richard Phoenix) and Ed Gemmell (Climate Party).

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