Huntingdon General Election Debate at Huntingdon Town Hall

The General Election debate (known as a hustings), was well-organised by Dave Bridges and hosted by Paul Sweeney, the BID Huntingdon Town Manager, who did a stellar job at asking some tough questions.

 It was a full house at Huntingdon Town Hall with familiar faces present, including Dr Nik Johnson, the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

The room filled up quickly, and a 'Vote Chan Abraham' tote bag was spotted amongst the crowd.

The candidates sat down at the front of the hall and were given time to introduce themselves and tell the audience about their favourite music, food, and what they do outside of politics.

Ben Obese-Jecty, running for the Conservatives, admitted he's an 80's fan (his favourite song is Blue Monday by New Order), his favourite food is his mum's cottage pie, and he loves to cycle.

Georgie Hunt, the Green Party candidate, loves Taylor Swift, Dominos Pizza, and church bell ringing, one of her main hobbies.

Alex Bulat, running for the Labour Party, loves to do nail art, listens to Metallica, and enjoys a full English breakfast.

Mark Argent, who is the Lib Dem candidate, loves cello music. His favourite food is Penang Laksa and he loves to paint in his spare time.

Chan Abraham is an Independent candidate. He credits his wife's cooking as his favourite food and in his spare time, he enjoys helping others to be a great leader. His favourite music is the Hallelujah Chorus.

Sarah Smith, for Reform, said that her favourite piece of music is the Godmanchester Chinese Bridge song, by The Howl and the Hum. Her favourite thing to do out of politics is spending time with her family, and her favourite food is Marmite.

Recommended Reading: Huntingdon General Election debate results for poll

Once introductions were done, Paul informed the audience that the candidates had picked numbers out of a box to determine the order of answers. 

The first question asked was how the candidates plan to restore trust in politics.

All of the candidates agreed that they would be a present MP. Sarah Smith and Alex Bulat said that they would hold surgeries in the constituency, while Ben Obese-Jecty said he would begin work immediately in the community and would be "accessible".

Alex Bulat, Mark Argent and Georgie Hunt all said that they will work alongside others to hold each other accountable to restore trust.

Chan Abraham cited his 10 Pledges, and said that he has been "accessible" since 1996. He also said that all government finances will be made public.

The candidates were then asked how they would support young people in Huntingdon.

Georgie Hunt said that she will prioritise a good education for children, and that the Green Party will give every child free school meals, and parents will receive child cover so they can go back to work. 

Georgie also mentioned boosting apprenticeships, something that Alex Bulat and Ben Obese-Jecty also echoed, with Ben Obese-Jecty saying that the Conservatives will deliver "100,000 new apprenticeships".

Alex Bulat prioritised making housing more affordable in the area, which Mark Argent agreed with.

Chan Abraham agreed with his fellow candidates, and also said that young people in Huntingdon need "vision, hope and practical application".

Sarah Smith said that the Reform Party will "scrap" interest payments on degrees, and will extend the repayment time.

The next question asked the candidates for their thoughts on assisted dying.

This question received a few groans from the audience, perhaps over the sensitive subject matter, but the answers began with real emotion from Mark Argent.

Mark Argent recalled losing two people to Motor Neurone Disease, and said: "If faced with debilitating illness, we have to enable someone to choose to bring their life to an end."

Chan Abraham said that this topic is about "the sanctity of life" and said that, "the state must not become the arbiter of who lives and who dies". Sarah Smith agreed.

Ben Obese-Jecty, Georgie Hunt and Alex Bulat said they would consider whether assisted dying should be introduced.

Candidates were then asked for their views on immigration, and what they think "legitimate migrants" offer in Huntingdon.

Many candidates shared personal stories in their answers. Ben Obese-Jecty recalled his father coming to the UK from Ghana, Alex Bulat shared her struggles with learning English when she first moved here, and Chan Abraham spoke of his own contributions to society.

Ben Obese-Jecty said we need to look at the number of migrants coming into the country versus the infrastructure available in Huntingdon, while Alex Bulat said she'd prioritise helping people who want to live here integrate into society quickly, as well as look at the national skills strategy.

Georgie Hunt pledged to look at safer routes into the country, and Sarah Smith said migrants have contributed to society massively, citing their work in our hospitals.

Mark Argent spoke of the economic benefits of migration, while Chan Abraham said, "we need to immediately stop the small boats".

The next question asked the candidates if they would keep the four layers of local government in Huntingdon - Town Council, District Council, County Council, and the Combined Authority.

Sarah Smith said she would campaign for a unitary authority, to prevent "buck passing" across the tiers. Chan Abraham said that we need "the most local level possible". 

Mark Argent is in favour of elected regional assemblies. Ben Obese-Jecty, Georgie Hunt and Alex Bulat said they'd keep the four layers and work to distinguish them better.

Candidates were then asked what climate change means to them.

Alex Bulat spoke of Labour's plan for GB Energy while Ben Obese-Jecty said flooding in the area is becoming a real concern. Mark Argent said that climate change "is real, and is present".

Sarah Smith asked, "Do we need to send ourselves to the Stone Age to get the level of CO2 we think we need?", which was met with gasps from the audience. Chan Abraham spoke of his distrust with how climate change has been portrayed in the media, saying "How do we know what we’ve been told is true?"

Georgie Hunt replied to Chan, saying, "We can see in Huntingdon that climate change is real – look at the flooding and lack of biodiversity. We can’t debate facts."

Questions that followed included using culture and heritage to support Huntingdon Town Centre, housing, education and crime.

Candidates were then asked four "quick fire" yes/no questions.

The first question was whether the candidates will urgently support WASPI women waiting for redress.

All candidates said yes, apart from Sarah Smith who did not confirm either way.

The second question was about whether candidates would safeguard the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.

Georgie Hunt, Alex Bulat and Mark Argent all said yes. Ben Obese-Jecty didn't want to commit, Chan Abraham said neither yes or no, and Sarah Smith said "yes, but only to LGB".

The third question asked candidates if they're prepared to commit to NHS dental funding.

All six candidates said yes.

The final quick fire question asked candidates if they'll campaign for better public transport in Huntingdon.

All six candidates said yes.

Questions were then taken from the audience on topics including mental health services, candidates holding themselves accountable, supporting small business, reforming the voting system, and unoccupied homes.

Dave Bridges, the Hustings organiser, asked the candidates if they're elected, do they promise to return here in six months to tell people what they've done so far. They all, unsurprisingly, said yes.

The closing question asked the candidates who they're supporting in the Euros.

They all said England.