Sidmouth Town and District council elections > HUSTINGS event > Tuesday 30th April > meet the candidates in one-on-one Q&A sessions

The Vision Group will be putting on hustings for the upcoming elections:

Futures Forum: Sidmouth Town and District council elections > HUSTINGS event > Tuesday 30th April > more details

The Herald has put out a reminder:

East Devon elections 2019: Quiz candidates at husting events

24 April 2019

Clarissa Place

Residents will be able to quiz some of the election candidates in the run up to polls as husting events have been organised in Sidmouth and Ottery.

Sidmouth residents will be able to meet both town and district candidates at an event organised by The Vision Group of Sidmouth on Tuesday, April 30, at St Teresa's Hall.

All candidates will be available to speak on a one-to-one speed dating set-up. Town council candidates will be available from 7pm to 8pm and from 8.10pm to 9.10pm for district council contenders.

East Devon elections 2019: Ottery and Sidmouth to hold husting events | Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald

The Herald is also providing full details of each candidate:
East Devon elections 2019; Who is vying for a Sidmouth Town Council seat?
East Devon elections 2019; Meet the candidates for EDDC’s Sidmouth and parish seats

And it today's Herald, the lead letter, from VGS member Peter Murphy, asks a question - and provides a few answers:

Dear Sir

East Devon Elections – Why go to the Hustings?

As I recall, analysts commented when the result was declared that if many Brexit remainers had bothered to vote in the referendum, the outcome may well have very well been different. Did complacency rule I wonder? It seems that ‘not voting’ can give rise to regret if the outcome is not what one hoped for, and expected! Here in the Sid Valley, voters turned out in their droves to have their say.

Brexit was, and is, an issue of massive importance to the future prosperity of not just the UK, but for the many issues it raises. But here in East Devon, candidates for both local and district elections are setting out their stalls to gain our votes on the issues that matter here. From the campaign leaflets I’ve had through my letterbox (Sidmouth North) from East Devon Alliance and Conservative candidates in recent days, the important issues cover the full spectrum of maintaining a diverse and prosperous future for the Sid Valley, referring to, and mirroring in many ways the key findings of the Sid Valley Neighbourhood Plan, now with the Inspector for examination.

Hustings are usually organised in the community interest by independent groups, to bring together voters and candidates for discussion. The Sidmouth hustings, organised and moderated by the Sidmouth Vision Group, have opted for a ‘Speed Dating’ format to facilitate one-on-one Q&A sessions. One might perhaps presume that election candidates will be eager to receive the views of their voters and maybe listening more intently than at other times in the election cycle.

The Sidmouth Hustings will be held at St Theresa’s Hall in Connaught Road on Tuesday 30th April, with Local Election candidates available from 7.00 pm and District Council candidates from 8.10 pm. As a member of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group I certainly have some questions I would like to pose before I cast my votes, and hope to see many residents doing the same. To paraphrase one candidate re-standing for election “Just vote!”

Peter Murphy

Sidmouth

Disclosure: Member of Sid Valley Neighbourhood Plan and Sidmouth Vision Group.

East Devon Elections – Why go to the Hustings?
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