Candidates clash on key issues at Trowbridge General Election husting

MORE than 120 people attended a General Election husting in Trowbridge on Wednesday evening (June 26) as local candidates clashed over a variety of key issues.

They included the environment and climate change, education, health, the cost-of-living crisis, housing, pensions, Europe, the culture of politics and whether the electorate can trust MPs.

The 90-minute event at the West Wilts Vineyard at Emmanuel’s Yard was hosted by Reverend Tracey Lewis, of Christian Action in the Trowbridge Area.

Reverend Tracey Lewis hosts the South West Wiltshire constituency husting in Emmanuel’s Yard. Trowbridge. Image: Trevor Porter 77167-5 (Image: Trevor Porter)

Labour Party candidate Evelyn Akoto debated the issues alongside Conservative Andrew Murrison, Liberal Democrat Bret Palmer, Reform UK candidate Garry Irvin, and independent candidates Thomas Culshaw and James Ward.

The Green Party candidate Fay Whitfield did not attend and was represented by Tony Free.

More than 120 people attended the South West Wiltshire constituency husting in Emmanuel’s Yard in Trowbridge. Trevor Porter 77167-2 (Image: Trevor Porter)

Rev Lewis said: “I doubt very much that we will be able to take all the questions, so we are linking them to a broad range of subject areas.”

She allowed candidates two minutes each to respond and those who over-ran were promptly told to stop.

All the candidates agreed on one issue raised by Clive Jackson, of the Trowbridge Debt Advice Service, saying that ‘no-fault’ evictions should be banned.

Mr Jackson said: “7,863 households have been served with no-fault eviction notices between January and March 2024.”

He said that although Parliament had guaranteed to end them, the legislation had still not happened and the issue was “exacerbating” the UK’s housing problems.

Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, promised to abolish the Section 21 notices by the end of Parliament.

The Renters (Reform) Bill, which received a second reading last October, ran out of time when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the General Election.

An incoming government – whichever party wins the General Election on July 4 – is likely to reintroduce the legislation in the new Parliament to outlaw no-fault evictions.

Garry Irvin, of Reform UK, said: “No-fault evictions must and should be stopped” and called for each household to be given a tax-free £20,000 allowance to meet the cost-of-living issue.

Independent Thomas Culshaw said: “No fault evictions should be banned” and called for minimum/maximum rental controls to be introduced to prevent landlords from extorting money from tenants.

Dr Murrison, of the Conservative Party, said there had been “cross-party” support for the Section 21 abolition bill to halt no-fault evictions and said a Tory government would impose a cap on ground rents.

Independent candidate James Ward said: “No-fault evictions should be repealed immediately”.

He called for more and cheaper modular housing to be built to enable young people to get on the housing ladder.

Tony Free, of the Green Party, said: “No fault evictions should be stopped” and said his party would introduce a Citizens Income bill which would be taxable.

Evelyn Akoto, of the Labour Party, said: “We would end no-fault evictions as soon as we can if we win.”

She said Labour wants to empower local councils to take more robust action to increase the housing stock.

Bret Palmer, of the Liberal Democrat Party, said they also wanted to ban no-fault evictions, adding “we want to provide more social housing”.

More than 120 people attended the South West Wiltshire constituency husting in Emmanuel’s Yard in Trowbridge. Trevor Porter 77167-3 (Image: Trevor Porter)

Afterwards, Trowbridge mayor Stephen Cooper, who remains politically neutral during his year in office, said he thought it had been a good event.

He added: “I thought there were some interesting answers and some strange answers.

“But all the responses gave us an insight into the people asking for our vote.”

Dr Murrison has represented the South West Wiltshire seat since 2001. At the last General Election in December 2019, he had a majority of 21,630 (39.4 per cent).