Quickfire round: Wimbledon parliamentary candidates reveal issues they would fight for if elected

ELECTION 2015: Get to know the candidates who want to be the next Wimbledon MP

More than 100 people gathered at the Trinity United Reformed Church in Mansel Road to hear the debate, which covered topics including affordable rents, youth services, social diversity, fracking and care for elderly people.

Chaired by Reverend Clive Gardner of St Mark's Church, representatives from each party were given 90 seconds to answer questions from the public.

Christopher Oxford asked what single subject each candidate would try and get legislated as a bill if they were MP.

Green candidate Charles Barraball said he would scrap Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnerships (TTIPs) - controversial trade negotiations between the US and Europe which other critics have said could lead to the privatisation of the NHS

Labour candidate Andrew Judge, currently a Merton councillor, said he would campaign to stop the annual payment of £1.6m from south west London councils to the Lee Valley Regional Park and divert the money back to Merton Council to support its own river park.

He also said he would fight for a health and council partnership and a council-owned building company.

UKIP candidate Peter Bucklitsch said he would call for the return of grammar schools across the country.

Conservative candidate Stephen Hammond said he would reform planning laws so telephone companies weren't able to put telephone masts 'wherever they want'. He also said he'd like to see the redevelopment of high streets to make sure that they had the opportunity to thrive.

Liberal Democrat candidate Shas Sheehan, who also ran against Stephen Hammond in 2010, said she would set up a body to investigate underspending by councils - claiming that Merton Council has been hoarding millions of pounds of reserves which could have been spent to support the vulnerable.

Youth clubs

Emily Savage, 15, a Raynes Park High School pupil whose youth club faced closure, asked candidates what youth provision candidates would fight for if they were elected.

Candidates did not go into detail about plans for better youth services, but all candidates, apart from Mr Judge, criticised Merton's Labour-run council for its decision to cut youth centres. Mr Judge, a Labour councillor in Merton, said the cuts were made because central government had "left us councillors with no discretion."

Speaking after the meeting Miss Savage said: "They didn't talk much about how they were going to keep youths off the streets and keep the centres open."

Racial diversity

The candidates showed a display of unity over the question of whether they would celebrate "diversity" in Wimbledon, with Conservative and UKIP candidates agreeing that racial and religious diversity in Wimbledon was a "blessing."

'Fracking'

There were cheers from the audience for Mr Barraball when he announced he would impose a ban on fracking - with Mr Bucklitsch taking the opposite view - that the energy extraction method had "no detrimental impact on the environment" and was a good alternative to relying on "Mr Putin" [Russian President Vladimir Putin] for natural resources.

Mrs Sheehan and Mr Judge were critical of fracking, while Mr Hammond was more positive, pointing out that "we do already use fracking as a method of delivery in parts of this country."

Affordable housing

On affordable housing, Mr Judge said he would call for a ban on one-year contracts in the rental market and a ban on letting agents imposing high administrative fees on tenants.

Mr Bucklitsch said he would encourage building on Brownfield sites. Mr Hammond said the Conservative government would build more than 250,000 more affordable homes over the next five years.

Mrs Sheehan said she would ban "revenge evictions," support a "rent to buy" policy, where tenants' rents go towards a mortgage down payment. While Mr Barraball said his party would build thousands of new homes and abolish the bedroom tax.

Heckling

Some audience members complained about 'heckling' at the meeting. There were raised voices as Lib Dem and Labour candidates talking about campaigns to save Kingston and St Helier Hospital's services and to save social housing tenants from eviction from their police-owned homes.

Richard James, chief executive of YMCA London South West, tweeted: "Hustings heckling happening, providing proposed parliamentary people challenging chances to shine."

William, a textile manufacturer in the audience who declined to give his surname, said: "I think it's a shame that there was heckling. I don't think it helps because it should be an opportunity for candidates to give their opinions."

Speaking after the meeting Clare Morgan, of Wimbledon, said: "I was disappointed not to hear the candidates speaking in a way that was inspiring."

She said she would have like to hear more on big issues like Europe, adding: "As Christians, I think it's important that we have a focus on what's good for all of us, not only individuals but as a nation."

Were you at the hustings? What do you think of this year's candidates? Comment below, or email letters@wimbledonguardian.co.uk. 

For more General Election stories, visit our election channel.