There are plans for three sets of election hustings in Coulsdon next month, organised by local residents.

On Thursday May 8, there will be a hustings for the Euro MEP election at the Coulsdon Community Centre from 7.30pm.

The residents say, “We would like one candidate from the London MEP list from each of the five main parties – hopefully as high up the list as possible, and ideally for UKIP and Green the No1 on the list.”

After brief introductions from the chair, each of the candidates will have two minutes to introduce and explain why they are standing – they will draw lots for the order of speaking. Then there will be open questions from the floor, in principle limited to 30 seconds. Then a rotating order of candidates to reply, again limited to 30 seconds. That should allow time for at least 20 questions and answers.

Then each candidate will have one minute to sum up, in reverse order to the start.

Parties will be allowed to put out on the chairs beforehand one piece each of promotional advertising.

Coulsdon West hustings will be on Friday May 16 at the Coulsdon Community Centre, from 8pm.

One of the candidates in that ward from each of the five main parties, Conservative, Labour, LibDems, Green and UKIP.

There will be a Coulsdon East hustings, on Monday  May 19. This will be in the Old Coulsdon Congregational Church, from 7.30pm, along the same format.

If there are candidates from other parties or independents, then a decision will be taken on how to handle this. For the ward hustings, we can accommodate up to seven, but not more.

For the Euro elections, there is a 5 per cent threshold, which means only the five main parties will be invited (in 2009, five parties all got more than 10 per cent, and won at least one MEP, and no other party reached 5 per cent and so all got none).

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