More than 80 residents raised their concerns surrounding issues such as the war in Iraq and British torture complicity at a special event last week.
The event, organised by Brent Stop the War and Brent and Harrow Palestine Solidarity Campaign, was held at the Pakistan Community Centre, in Willesden Green, and invited local residents to ask pressing questions to the local parliamentary candidates.
Tulip Siddiq, Labour candidate for Hampstead & Kilburn, joined Lauren Keith, Liberal Democrat representative for Brent North, and John Boyle, representative for the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition Party.
The Green Party was represented by Brent Central candidate Shahrar Ali and Hampstead & Kilburn candidate Rebecca Johnson. The Conservative candidate for Brent North, Luke Parker, had to cancel.
Questions were submitted to the candidates ahead of the meeting, which took place on on Monday (April 13), on a wide range of issues including Trident renewal, the Iraq war, Israeli settlements, British torture complicity, relations with Saudi Arabia and Iran and Israel's nuclear weapons.
Labour and Liberal Democrat candidates did not oppose Trident renewal, whereas the other candidates were all for scrapping Trident altogether.
Questioned on their views on the Palestine and Israel conflict, the candidates were unanimous that there should be a ban on the import and sale of Israeli settlement goods.
The questions posed by the public at the event highlight that foreign policy such as war and militancy are topics that both concern and engage the voting public.
