Candidates in Blackpool North and Fleetwood will be quizzed in an election hustings next week.
Residents are being given the chance to question their prospective MPs as they step on stage together ahead of the General Election.
The Blackpool Lead is working alongside the Local Democracy Service, the Blackpool Gazette and Shelter Lancashire to host the event on Wednesday 26 June. It will take place at The Venue, on North Promenade, Cleveleys, from 7pm-9pm (doors at 6.30pm).
The hustings will give voters a chance to hear from the eight people vying to win their votes when the country goes to the polls on July 4. Anyone wishing to attend and ask a question can register to do so using this registration form. Places are limited and allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.
Local democracy reporter Shelagh Parkinson will host the event and a summary of the night will be made available in LDRS coverage afterwards. It will also be streamed live throughout.
The organisers of the event are encouraging voters to get involved, regardless of whether they have already picked a candidate to support.. If you have something you would like to be asked but you can’t attend, keep an eye on The Lead and Blackpool Gazette’s social media feeds for your opportunity to do so.
It is the third hustings event to be co-hosted by The Lead North and follows the announcement of a South Ribble hustings which will take place on June 27.
The Blackpool Gazette’s digital editor Vanessa Sims said: “It’s great to be teaming up with The Blackpool Lead on an event that will give the people of Blackpool North and Fleetwood the opportunity to hear directly what candidates think on the issues important to them ahead of the election.
“This is your chance to hear first hand what their priorities will be if they get elected.”
Luke Beardsworth, senior editor (North) for The Lead, said the hustings will help residents make sense of an election “that came sooner than many of us expected”.
“Anything that can help people feel empowered by the process of democracy – and to make an informed decision on who to give their vote – is a really important step.
“Plenty of people will consider their mind made up on who they vote for – and plenty won’t. Either way, this will be the best chance to make up your mind on who deserves your vote on 4th July.”
Community organiser for Shelter Lancashire, Hope Barnes, said: “Ending the housing emergency must be a key priority for whoever wants to be elected in Blackpool. The devastating effects of the broken housing system are felt every day in this town, where landlords make money from homes that are making people sick, and kids grow up in temporary accommodation because no genuinely affordable social housing is being built.
“Take the fact that only one social home has been built in Blackpool in the last 10 years! In this election, campaigners are clearly stating that they will be voting for home - and are eager to hear urgent solutions from everyone who is a candidate to be a future MP”
Who can I vote for?
The full list of candidates standing in the Blackpool North and Fleetwood constituency is:
Dan Barker (Reform)
Lorraine Beavers (Labour)
Jan Cresswell (Social Democratic Party)
Gita Gordon (Independent)
Bill Greene (Liberal Democrat)
Paul Maynard (Conservative)
Tina Rothery (Green)
James Rust (Official Monster Raving Looney Party)
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