Thread by @JAverillJourno

Evening all. I'm at Duston Community Centre where a general election hustings is being held for Northampton South parliamentary candidates. #LDReporter

Appearing before voters tonight, in order of how they appear on the ballot paper:

Gareth Eales (Labour) - @CllrGarethEales
Jill Hope (Lib Dems) - @JillHopeLibDem
Scott Mabbutt (Green Party) - @GreenDocScott1

Conservative candidate @ALewerMBE is not attending.

@CllrGarethEales @JillHopeLibDem @GreenDocScott1 @ALewerMBE Organiser of the hustings, David Huffadine-Smith, says he invited Mr Lewer but that he had not extended the offer of an alternative Conservative speaker as it would be 'unfair' to the other candidates.

@CllrGarethEales @JillHopeLibDem @GreenDocScott1 @ALewerMBE A spokesman for Mr Lewer has told me: "Andrew politely declined the invitation to the Duston hustings due to prior commitments."

@CllrGarethEales @JillHopeLibDem @GreenDocScott1 @ALewerMBE Roughly 30 members of the public have turned up to this hustings.

@CllrGarethEales @JillHopeLibDem @GreenDocScott1 @ALewerMBE Part of the opening statement from Scott Mabbutt of the Green Party (@GreenDocScott1): "I don't think people are happy with the status quo and I don't think they have been for a long time. We can fill that gap. We don't have principles that change on what focus groups say."

@CllrGarethEales @JillHopeLibDem @GreenDocScott1 @ALewerMBE Part of the opening statement from Gareth Eales of Labour (@CllrGarethEales): "Do you believe that our town and country has moved forward over the last 10 years? I would defy anyone to come to the conclusion that it has.

"Austerity is visible quite literally on every corner."

@CllrGarethEales @JillHopeLibDem @GreenDocScott1 @ALewerMBE Part of the opening statement from Jill Hope of the Lib Dems (@JillHopeLibDem): "This election is unlike any other I've contested. This election is about Brexit and I liken it to a civil war. Families are divided and it has to stop. The only way to stop it is to revoke A50."

@CllrGarethEales @JillHopeLibDem @GreenDocScott1 @ALewerMBE The first question is on whether Labour can call itself a remain party.

@CllrGarethEales: "We have not described ourselves as a remain party. We will negotiate a credible deal and put it back to the people."

Says @jeremycorbyn's neutrality is the 'adult' position to take.

@CllrGarethEales @JillHopeLibDem @GreenDocScott1 @ALewerMBE @jeremycorbyn .@GreenDocScott1 on Brexit: "The Green Party have been consistent in campaigning for a referendum on a defined deal and we have not changed. It's the only way to go. The Tory deal throws remainers under a bus and revoking article 50 throws Brexiteers under the bus."

@CllrGarethEales @JillHopeLibDem @GreenDocScott1 @ALewerMBE @jeremycorbyn Jill Hope (@JillHopeLibDem) on Brexit: "I blame David Cameron. I blame @jeremycorbyn for not promoting remain in the campaign. Our economy is really slumping because of what is happening."

@CllrGarethEales @JillHopeLibDem @GreenDocScott1 @ALewerMBE @jeremycorbyn Candidates asked about coalition governments.

Jill Hope says 75% of LD manifesto was implemented in their coalition.

Scott Mabbutt (Green) says any deal with the Greens would focus on implementing a fairer voting system.

Gareth Eales (Labour) wants @CarolineLucas on board!

@CllrGarethEales @JillHopeLibDem @GreenDocScott1 @ALewerMBE @jeremycorbyn @CarolineLucas All the three candidates here are in support of lowering the voting age to 16.

@CllrGarethEales @JillHopeLibDem @GreenDocScott1 @ALewerMBE @jeremycorbyn @CarolineLucas Candidates are asked if Jeremy Corbyn is as 'toxic' as the national press make out.

.@CllrGarethEales: "I'm not going to tell you that JC doesn't come up for discussion on the doorsteps. But I think he's a very different leader and I'm sick of personality politics."

@CllrGarethEales @JillHopeLibDem @GreenDocScott1 @ALewerMBE @jeremycorbyn @CarolineLucas .@GreenDocScott1: "I don't think being left wing is toxic, @CarolineLucas is very popular!

"I joked at the last election that I liked Jeremy more than most of his MPs did. But I do think he's been an easy target for a media that would not benefit from a Labour government."

@CllrGarethEales @JillHopeLibDem @GreenDocScott1 @ALewerMBE @jeremycorbyn @CarolineLucas .@JillHopeLibDem: "Momentum is the new version of Militant Tendency, and I think they are damaging Labour. I share a lot of the Labour views on things we want to achieve. But I have a background in economics and he can't deliver his vision."

@CllrGarethEales @JillHopeLibDem @GreenDocScott1 @ALewerMBE @jeremycorbyn @CarolineLucas The candidates are asked about how their party would tackle the climate emergency.

@CllrGarethEales @JillHopeLibDem @GreenDocScott1 @ALewerMBE @jeremycorbyn @CarolineLucas .@GreenDocScott1: "Our green new deal will completely change how we get our energy, how we get around, how we manage our land and how we protect our forests and waters. We want to spend £100bn a year, but the detriment of not spending that will be so much worse."

@CllrGarethEales @JillHopeLibDem @GreenDocScott1 @ALewerMBE @jeremycorbyn @CarolineLucas .@CllrGarethEales: "We have committed to a green new deal and a £400bn investment. £250bn of that will be on an infrastructure fund and the obvious starting point is on public transport. I will fight to get us a fair share of that funding."

@CllrGarethEales @JillHopeLibDem @GreenDocScott1 @ALewerMBE @jeremycorbyn @CarolineLucas .@JillHopeLibDem: "We have had a green strand going through our manifesto for years. One of our main policies is a big housing insulation project. We want to target 80% of energy coming from renewable sources. And our policy of planing 60 million trees is wonderful."

The candidates pictured his evening at Dustin Community Centre.

Candidates are asked how they would solve homelessness, and how they would solve the housing crisis of not enough affordable housing being built.

.@JillHopeLibDem: "Homelessness derives from a variety of problems including mental health issues and alcoholism. In Northampton the numbers have increase significantly. We would make sure that councils are required to provide a safe place for homeless people to go."

@JillHopeLibDem .@CllrGarethEales: "Our planning regulations are rigged in favour of developers. With Dallington Grange, there are 3,000 homes but not 1p to nearby communities and amount of affordable housing is only up to 10% despite 35% target. NBC is petrified of being sued by developers."

@JillHopeLibDem @CllrGarethEales .@GreenDocScott1: "There are a lot of cases of homelessness, and I want to tackle drug use. Our policy is taking drug use out of the criminal justice system and making it a health issue, ending the cycle of criminal behaviour associated with it."

@JillHopeLibDem @CllrGarethEales @GreenDocScott1 The final question has turned into quite a fiery debate on the worthiness of parish councils.

@JillHopeLibDem @CllrGarethEales @GreenDocScott1 David Huffadine-Smith thanks the candidates for 'putting themselves at risk' and says he hopes it may have helped people attending make their minds up on who, or who not, to vote for.

@JillHopeLibDem @CllrGarethEales @GreenDocScott1 And that, as they say, is the end of that. Hope anyone following found this thread informative. Night all.