Election showdown for Filey announced
Five election candidates are bracing themselves for a preelection showdown, after it was announced Filey would stage a public debate.
The hustings event will be held at the Evron Centre on Wednesday April 8, and is the only scheduled event in the town ahead of next month’s General Election.
Candidates will answer a mixture of emailed questions and questions randomly selected from the floor.
Organiser and Conservative council candidate Tony Viney said that it was important that every type of voter is represented at the debate, regardless of age.
“Its important that people take the time to come to these kind of events as it gives them the chance to ask questions pertinent to themselves,” he said.
“I would really encourage younger people to take advantage of it because youth representatives are often absent, meaning adults – not necessarily in touch with current youth issues speak on their behalf.
“It would be great to see a good spread of ages. Its also really important for business owners to represent their concerns; lets not forget that one of the people in the room will be in Westminster in May.
“Lets take full advantage of the opportunity”.
Conservative candidate Kevin Hornlike, who bookmakers this week declared the oddson favourite to replace Anne McIntosh, will be at the debate.
He will be joined by Labour’s Alan Avery, UKIPs Toby Horton, Di Keal from the Liberal Democrats and Green candidate Chris Newsam.
The hustings event, which starts at 6.30pm, follows calls for a Filey debate, after it emerged nothing was planned in the area.
Last week, an event was announced in Hunmanby at the community centre on Friday April 17, while anti-fracking candidate Philip Tate threw his name in the ring.
An experienced and well known councillor has joined the battle to become the next MP for Filey, Thirsk and Malton.
It will be the third time John Clark has stood as the Liberal Party’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the constituency following election campaigns in 2005 and 2010.
John Clark, the leader of the party on both Ryedale District and North Yorkshire County Councils, said: “We have a lot of support in over half of the constituency and offer more opposition to the Conservatives than any other party. The conservative candidate claims he wants a fairer society. That statement must be challenged.
“In the last 5 years we have become a less fair society, with bedroom tax, cuts to welfare benefits and a complete waste of money on the rehash of the NHS.”
John Clark said: “In today’s language, we want to empower people. I believe we must give all people who wish to challenge the austerity route an opportunity to vote liberal. “
“At the end of WWII when the debt was larger than today, successive governments created the NHS and built millions of council houses. Compare this with the austerity approach of woeful numbers of social housing, the NHS creaking at the seams and many jobs being low paid and part-time.”
From a farming family, Mr Clark has represented the Liberal Party for the past 12 years on Ryedale District Council and North Yorkshire County Council for six years. He is also standing for reelection as the Cropton ward member of Ryedale District Council.