Ten candidates are to take part in a city-wide Faith Hustings this week. The event will be split into two panels – one for local election candidates and the other for politicians hoping to be elected to Parliament.
The Question Time style hustings has been organised by Brighton and Hove Faith in Action.
The event is backed by the Brighton and Hove Interfaith Contact Group, the Anglican Rural Dean of Brighton, the Brighton and Hove Catholic Deanery, Sussex Jewish Representative Council and the Brighton and Hove Muslim Forum.
The questions are expected to focus on issues related to faith matters and the hustings will be chaired by Dr Paul Davies, a reader of philosophy at Sussex University who specialises in the philosophy of religion.
The event is due to take place at All Saints Church, in The Drive, Hove, on Thursday (9 April).
Council candidates will answer questions from 7pm to 8pm and parliamentary candidates from 8.15pm to 9.45pm.
Those taking part on the local elections panel are
- Councillor Sue Shanks (Green, Withdean)
- Councillor Geoffrey Theobald (Conservative, Patcham)
- Councillor Warren Morgan (Labour, East Brighton)
- David Sears (Liberal Democrat, Brunswick and Adelaide)
- Kevin Smith (UKIP, Goldsmid)
Those taking part in the general election panel are
- Graham Cox (Conservative, Hove)
- Peter Kyle (Labour, Hove)
- Christopher Hawtree (Green, Hove)
- Chris Bowers (Liberal Democrat, Brighton Pavilion)
- Kevin Smith (UKIP, Hove)
Brighton and Hove Faith in Action chairman the Reverend Martin Poole said: “People of faith throughout this city are engaged with issues such as extremism, the plight of the poorest in our society, the education of children, delivery of appropriate healthcare and the role the UK should play on the world stage.
“These are all important as part of the current political agenda and this hustings event will be a great opportunity for members of all our faith communities to hear from our prospective election candidates on all of these issues and more.”
