Candidates clash in heated debate

WITH less than one week to go before the people of Hull and East Yorkshire elect their first-ever Mayor, five of the six candidates attended a heated Hull Live election debate in which they debated topics including Net Zero policies and what the person elected will be able to do.

- By ANDREW SPENCE

All six candidates were invited to the event hosted by Reach PLC’s Northern Agenda Editor, Rob Parsons. Unfortunately Kerry Harrison, the Green Party candidate, was unable to attend, meaning the line up was as follows:

■Reform UK: Luke Campbell

■Yorkshire Party: Rowan Halstead

■Conservative Party: Anne Handley

■Labour Party: Margaret Pinder

Liberal Democrat: Mike Ross

They clashed on a number of issues including on Net Zero policy and on what the Mayor will and can actually do. Some of the candidates focused on Mr Campbell’s political inexperience during the debate.

The first hot point in the debate occurred when Mr Campbell said his main priority as Mayor would be to “cut council waste”. The leaders of both Hull City Council, Mike Ross, and East Riding Council, Anne Handley, were quick to tell Mr Campbell that it will not be the Mayor's job to control council spending.