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Hundreds turn out for hustings across Gloucestershire

BBC Eight people sat at a table in Gloucester Cathedral, including the dean of GloucesterBBC
Religious buildings like Gloucester Cathedral have been playing host to political candidates this week

Religious buildings across the county have been holding hustings this week in places like Gloucester Cathedral and Tewkesbury Abbey.

Questions have been wide ranging from the state of public services, defence and local housing issues.

Religious leaders have been impressed by the turn out, welcoming the chance to offer their spaces as part of "the public square".

Many voters who attended told the BBC they still had not made up their mind on which candidate to vote for.

We went to three hustings to find out what voters want answers to from politicians.

Gloucester

People sat on wooden chairs inside Gloucester Cathedral listening to candidates at the hustings
More than 100 hundred people attended the hustings in Gloucester

Gloucester Cathedral held their hustings on Monday evening and had to move the event to a larger space in the cathedral because so many people turned up.

Six of the eight candidates standing in the constituency answered questions from the audience:

  • Chris Farmer - Reform UK
  • Steve Gower - Workers Party of Britain
  • Richard Graham - Conservative
  • Alex McIntyre - Labour
  • Adam Shearing - Green Party
  • Rebecca Trimnell - Liberal Democrats

Socialist Labour Party candidate Akhlaque Ahmed and Independent candidate Fred Ramsey did not attend.

The NHS, the housing crisis, the state of public services and honesty and integrity were just some of the topics covered.

Passions often ran high and some of those in the crowd heckled the candidates - something discouraged by the organisers as they wanted every candidate to be heard - but all candidates got plenty of applause as well.

Dean of Gloucester Andrew Zihni said: "I think it was a better turnout then expected, it was really good to see so many people here."

He added: "It was helpful hearing the different perspectives of the different candidates which will be helpful for people casting their vote on 4 July."

More information on the issues affecting voters in Gloucester can be heard here.

Tewkesbury

People stood around a table inside Tewkesbury Abbey writing their questions on pieces of paper.
Many people submitted questions for the hustings in Tewkesbury Abbey

Tuesday night saw Tewkesbury's turn to host a hustings.

The abbey was competing against a hot night and England's last group game in the Euros. Despite that, more than 150 people turned out to hear from the candidates.

Revd Canon Nick Davies admitted he had thought he had "blown it" by competing with the football but given the 0-0 draw felt "people had a better bet coming here than staying at home".

Defence, Brexit, pensions and river pollution were just some of the topics that came up as well as trans rights, Women Against State Pension Inequality [WASPI] and abortion.

The first question of the night came from 17-year-old Tewkesbury Academy student Cali Brazdys who was concerned about the 10,000 homes expected to be built in Ashchurch and whether public services would match the rate of growth.

"I asked the question because being a one school town, it's already very overcrowded, how do they plan to provide for all of these new students that these new houses are going to bring in?" she said.

"I think their answers were quite poor and only provided facts about the roads which wasn't what my question was relating to."

bbc Four people sitting either side of a standing vicar on a stage in Tewskesbury Abbey next to a large golden eagle lecternbbc
Four of the six candidates attended the hustings at Tewkesbury Abbey

Others felt the debate was very positive.

David Greenwood, who asked a question about Brexit, said: "What really stood out for me was the fact that the candidates actually genuinely seemed to have respect for each other, even though they had clearly contrasting political views."

Four of the six candidates attended the debate:

  • Cate Cody - Green Party
  • David Edgar - Christians Peoples Alliance
  • Laurence Robertson - Conservative
  • Cameron Thomas - Liberal Democrat

Labour candidate Damola Animashaun and Reform UK candidate Byron Davis did not attend.

More information on the issues affecting voters in Tewkesbury can be heard here.

Forest of Dean

The hustings audience inside St Mary's Church, in Lydney, in the Forest of Dean listening to the candidates speak.
"Serious questions" were answered "very seriously" by the candidates in Lydney

On Wednesday night many voters from Lydney and further afield made their way to the cool sanctuary of St Mary's church to hear what the candidates had to say there.

Questions ranged from the NHS, public services, river pollution, trust in politicians and international relations.

Mollie Meager asked a question about why the UK is selling arms to Israel.

She said the evening had helped inform her choice on who to vote for.

Vicar of Lydney, Woolaston with Alvington and Aylburton, David Gardiner said it was a useful evening.

"Very serious questions, very seriously answered by our candidates, I just wish we had time to get through more questions," he said.

Four of the six candidates standing took questions:

  • Matt Bishop - Labour
  • Mark Harper - Conservative
  • James Joyce - Liberal Democrats
  • Chris McFarling - Green Party

Reform UK candidate Stanley Goodin and Socialist Labour Party Saiham Sikder were not in attendance.

More information on the issues affecting voters in the Forest of Dean can be heard here.

A full list of candidates standing in seats across the country can be found here.

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