Candidates grilled at Broadway hustings
EVERYTHING from national coalitions to Hornsey Town Hall, via renewable energy was up for discussion at the Broadway hustings last night. Organised by the Broadway, the hustings gave local people the chance to quiz Lib Dem incumbent MP Lynne Featherstone,
EVERYTHING from national coalitions to Hornsey Town Hall, via renewable energy was up for discussion at the Broadway hustings last night.
Organised by the Broadway, the hustings gave local people the chance to quiz Lib Dem incumbent MP Lynne Featherstone, Labour's Karen Jennings, Conservative Richard Merrin and Independent candidate Stephane De Roche.
The wannabe MPs faced a total of 14 questions during the tense debate at Greig City Academy - one of the last before Hornsey and Wood Green hits the polling booths.
Twice the candidates were asked about their allegiances should a hung parliament occur - the question was keenly targeted at Lib Dem Ms Featherstone.
Despite the second questioner demanding a one-word answer on who the Lib Dems would prefer to form a coalition with Ms Featherstone stuck fast to her assertion that the party would listen to how the country had voted.
She said the party would "work with the man on the moon" if he could assure them their key pledges would be listened to.
Most Read
- 1 Walking book club: Hampstead Heath, Death and The Penguin
- 2 Hampstead Town's first Labour councillor stands down weeks into office
- 3 Five jailed after 'cold blooded' murder of Enfield father
- 4 Highgate pub landlords to appeal restrictive licence approval
- 5 Olympic ace opens Highgate primary school's new running track
- 6 Major tube strike to follow Queen's Platinum Jubilee long weekend
- 7 Calls for removal of South End Green phone box
- 8 5 of the best things to do with kids in north London
- 9 Campaign launched after girl suffers fractured ribs from e-scooter crash
- 10 Belsize Village restaurant hires young Ukrainian refugee
One question the candidates were all united on surrounded carers. Following a front-page article in the Broadway last month, one questioner asked: "Being a Carer can be the hardest job in the world if you don't have support.
"The government gave �150m to the PCTs to share out for carers respite breaks.
"NHS Haringey have admitted that the �750,000 given by the government to them for respite breaks has not been used for this.
"If elected will your party insist that the PCTs honour the task they were given."
All parties were outraged by the missing money and vowed to sign a joint letter asking where the money had gone, following a suggestion by Mr Merrin.
The candidates were also asked for their views on Hornsey Town Hall's redevelopment, but the biggest laugh of the night was probably drawn from Independent Mr De Roche, who admitted he didn't know where the Crouch End building was.
Voting reforms, Trident and planning development in Haringey were also on the agenda.
For more in depth analysis, see next week's Broadway.
