A crowd of around 200 people packed the Marsden Mechanics Hall last (Monday) night to hear from the five candidates hoping to be the next MP for the Colne Valley.

The candidates are Cahal Burke (Liberal Democrat), Sonia King (Green), Jason McCartney (Conservative), Patricia Sadio (Independent) and Thelma Walker (Labour).

Colne Valley Lib Dem candidate Cahal Burke.
Colne Valley Lib Dem candidate Cahal Burke.

The questions were on cuts to education; youth services; rail fares and future service changes; disability; state benefits; fox-hunting; the Naylor report (selling off NHS assets); fracking; the European Union and homelessness.

From the cheer on the night for Thelma Walker it was clear she had a room of support, while some heckled at Jason McCartney who kept calm despite it.

The hustings, chaired by Tom Lonsdale, opened with a question about three teaching assistant redundancies at a Marsden school that are currently being made, with candidates being asked what they would do to stop education cuts.

It was a move that dismayed all candidates. Previous MP Jason McCartney said he would meet with the school and explained that fixed costs at schools, such as insurance and maintenance, had risen. He said he had lobbied Justine Greening (education minister) about funding.

Labour’s Thelma Walker said Colne Valley schools faced a £9m cut and said her party would bring all schools back into public ownership and introduce free school meals.

On the subject of rail fare increases and future cuts to services, Patricia Sadio highlighted the £15bn spent on London’s Crossrail and said “just think what that could have done here.”

Kirklees Labour member, Thelma Walker
Kirklees Labour member, Thelma Walker

Sonia King won the honesty award of the night saying: “I don’t know very much about trains but if elected I’d ask the people who do know.”

The candidates were asked why someone with a disability would vote for them and Cahal Burke acknowledged “carers who are doing a great job who don’t get the recognition for what they do.”

Sonia King highlighted the seven month waiting list for wheelchairs and 26 week wait for children’s mental health support at one local provision, saying: “It’s just not good enough People are passing the buck and no-one is taking responsibility.”

Sonia King, Green Party candidate in the Colne Valley constituency for the 2017 General Election
Sonia King, Green Party candidate in the Colne Valley constituency for the 2017 General Election

Jason McCartney said: “Everybody has a different experience and if one person has a bad experience it’s one person too many.”

The candidates were asked if “state benefits should help people who fall on misfortune or subsidise lifestyle choices.”

Colne Valley MP Jason McCartney (left)
Colne Valley MP Jason McCartney (left)

Labour’s Thelma Walker said whole sections of “society were frustrated and feared” rising costs. She said: “This isn’t about people scrounging, 67% of people on the poverty line are working families.”

Cahal Burke said he’d work towards a society “where food banks don’t need to exist” and Jason McCartney said: “Welfare is there to support people who can’t work. To be able to do help these people we need a strong economy, we need people to pay taxes. By having people working with a strong economy, not spending from the magic money tree, we can provide for those who can’t work.”

The issue of HRI A&E was raised via a question about the Naylor Report, said to encourage NHS trusts to sell off land.

Jason McCartney said he believed the panel “were united in fighting to save our A&E” and that it made no sense to sell off hospitals.

Thelma Walker slammed the asset stripping of the NHS and said it was “our NHS” and not for sale.

All candidates spoke out against fracking, though the question on the European Union divided them.

A member of the audience asked if they would respect the outcome of the referendum or campaign to keep us in the EU via the single market.

Thelma Walker said: “I voted Remain but I respect the democratic right of our people. I want to remain in the single market, 50% of trade is with the EU and we have so much to lose if we do not negotiate diplomatically. Saying she’ll (Theresa May) be a ‘bloody difficult’ woman is not language of diplomacy.”

Jason McCartney said he would accept the will of the British people, while Cahal Burke said he would campaign to remain in the single market and give people another chance saying “we didn’t vote for a deal.”