General election candidates for the East Thanet constituency will face questions at two hustings this month.
A hustings is a meeting where election candidates or parties debate policies and answer questions from the audience. It provides voters with an opportunity to hear the views of candidates or parties who are asking for their vote in upcoming elections
The country goes to the polls on July 4 where the vote will decided Members of Parliament for each constituency and the overall party that will run the country.
On May 22 former PM Rishi Sunak announced the date for the election with Parliament prorogued on 24 May and dissolved on 30 May with the vote taking place on July 4.
In Thanet the former constituencies of South and North Thanet have been changed to East Thanet – comprising Ramsgate, Broadstairs and most of Margate and the Herne Bay and Sandwich constituency taking in Westbrook, Birchington, Garlinge, Thanet villages wards and Westgate.
For East Thanet there are eight candidates vying for people’s votes to take the seat.
A hustings in Margate this Thursday (June 20) will be hosted by Social Enterprise UK and Social Enterprise Kent at Olby’s Soul Café on June 20th from 7pm-9pm.
This event is aimed at the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector.
So far Labour, Green, and Reform parties are confirmed, and invites have gone out to Conservatives and Independents.
People will be able to submit a question for the candidates by emailing [email protected]. It isn’t guaranteed that all will be asked but a broad cross-section of questions will be selected.
Tickets are free and can be booked here.
An East Thanet constituency hustings will also take place at St. Luke’s Church, Ramsgate, at 7.30pm on Monday 24th June.
Answering questions submitted by residents in advance will be:
- Helen Harrison (Conservative candidate)
- Steve Roberts (Green Party candidate)
- Jai Singh (Liberal Democrat candidate)
- Labour candidate Polly Billington (This is updated, Cllr Everitt will no longer be attending in her place)
- Paul Webb (Reform UK candidate)
There are three Independent Candidates standing for election in the constituency:
However, these will not be on the panel. Independent Grahame Birchall has expressed his upset at this, saying he feels ‘insulted.’
He added: “Independents have to pay their way in elections, to make the wheels of democracy turn. Party candidates get everything paid for. A little unfair on we independents who are ignored for our efforts and financial sacrifice. He and his Church are not acting impartially.
Rev Worledge said: “The decision was made before knowing who would be standing in the constituency to limit the number of candidates invited to the hustings to five. This was in order to allow time for a reasonable number of questions to be asked and time for the candidates to answer the questions. Priority has been given to those candidates representing parties who have the highest ratings in the national polls.”
The doors of St. Luke’s will be open from 7pm and the hustings will start promptly at 7:30pm.
Rev Paul Worledge is chairing the event, which will be livestreamed
To find out more and submit questions click here
On July 4, polling stations open at 7am and close at 10pm. For people voting in person photographic ID will, for the first time in a general election, be required.
Once voting closes at 10pm, an exit poll is announced. This is a survey of in-person voters taken at a sample of around 150 constituencies in England, Scotland and Wales. Exit polls have taken place in various forms since 1974, and have correctly predicted the largest party on every occasion.
