The difficulty in persuading leaders of the main national political parties to appear together in one room has been given a lot of attention in the media lately.
But the churches of Ealing Central and Acton have persuaded all the main local election candidates to be present at a public meeting to explain their positions and answer questions.
The meeting will be held at the Church of the Ascension Hanger Hill, Beaufort Road, Ealing, at 8pm on Tuesday April 7.
Candidates appearing at the event are: current MP Angie Bray (Conservative), Dr Rupa Huq (Labour), Jon Ball (Liberal Democrat), Peter Florence (UKIP), and Tom Sharman (Green).
In 2010, Angie Bray won 38% of the vote for the Conservatives, with Labour and the Lib Dems more or less level at 30% and 28% respectively.
But a constituency poll by Lord Ashcroft in December 2014 put Labour ahead at 40%, knocking the Conservatives into second place at 34%, with Liberals at 11%, not far ahead of the Greens (7%) and UKIP (6%).
Everyone is welcome to attend the election hustings and the church is fully accessible for those with limited mobility; there is a hearing loop and some on-street parking is available. The meeting will finish by 10pm.
Whether or not you attend, you can submit questions in advance to ensure a balanced and constructive evening. Please send your questions – preferably before Easter Sunday – by email to cmynors@gmail.com.
