General Election candidates to face Hustings debates in South Shields and Jarrow

Candidates standing in the South Shields and Jarrow constituencies have been invited to take part in a hustings debate next week.

The debates, organised by Churches Together South Tyneside, will see candidates challenged to explain how their parties would help tackle social deprivation among other issues facing constituents.

The Jarrow constituency event will take place on Monday, December 2 at 7pm at Christ Church Hall, Ellison Street.

The South Shields event will be held on Thursday, December 5 at 7pm at the Living Faith Church on Westoe Road.

Each candidate will be invited to speak for two minutes about themselves, followed by 90 minutes of questions from the floor, before all the candidates make a final statement.

The questions will include those specifically focused on issues related to Churches Together projects and general social deprivation in South Tyneside.

The events will both be chaired by The Ven Bob Cooper (Archdeacon of Sunderland) who lives in Boldon Colliery.

Bernadette Askins, Churches Together, said: “This is one of the most deprived areas in the country and a lot of the issues arising from austerity and deprivation present themselves on our doorstep on a daily basis and we want to talk about these issues (as well as Brexit).

“Local faith communities work to tackle some of these problems and it is right that election candidates are challenged to say what their government would do to help. It is also right that the faith communities should be involved in this political debate.”

Churches Together is involved in a number of social action projects supporting vulnerable people in the borough, including the homeless, elderly, asylum seekers and refugees, dementia sufferers and those living in poverty.

She added: “Church members have been encouraged by their national leaders to engage in the political process ahead of the General Election and we want to make our contribution. Election candidates should be challenged to say what they are doing – or will do.”

All the candidates have been invited via their Election Agents.