Thursday, April 29, 2010

On the 29th April 2010, General Election candidates for Swindon South faced questions from the public at a hustings organised by a group of NGOs targeting the most marginal seats to ensure that climate change is firmly on the election agenda.

The panel consisted of:

• Robert Buckland for the Conservative party
• Damon Hooton for the Liberal Democrats
• Jenni Miles for the Green party
• Anne Snelgrove for the Labour party
• Robin Tingey for the UK Independence party

Independent candidate Karsten Evans had not announced his intention to stand when the meeting was arranged, which is why he was not on the panel.

The first question concerned the cause of climate change - is it caused by human activity?

The second questioner asked whether recent events such as the stolen e-mails from the University of East Anglia's climate research unit had damaged the public perception of the need to take action on climate change.

The third questioner sought the candidates' views on nuclear power.

The fourth question highlighted the dangers of cycling, particularly on rural roads, and asked what could be done to make walking and cycling safer.

The fifth questioner wanted to know how the candidates, if elected, would work with Swindon's local authority to reduce our environmental impact.

The sixth question concerned possibly the most controversial subject in environmental circles, the Severn Barrage.

The last questioner from the floor wanted to know what one thing could have the greatest impact.

Finally, the chair asked each of the candidates where climate change featured in their list of priorities.