Top table answers questions (From Gazette Series)

Top table answers questions

VILLAGERS had the opportunity to quiz politicians during a question and answers session in Uley.

Inspired by a recent edition of BBC's Question Time broadcast from Gloucester, Uley and Nympsfield Conservatives decided to organise and host a similar exercise.

Visitors to Uley Village Hall posed questions to the panel consisting of Stroud MP David Drew, Conservative and Green Party prospective candidates Neil Carmichael and Martin Whiteside and Stroud's member of the national youth parliament Alex Farrow. Chairman was Ben Browne.

The panel faced questions covering more than 60 different topics, including energy, education, pensions and terrorism.

Uley Tory chairman Brian Lamerton said youth MP Alex Farrow made particular impact with the audience, stating: "Alex impressed with his maturity and perception of his answers - well beyond his 15 years."

With the potentially explosive cross-party mix, organisers had anticipated there could be fireworks. But Mr Lamerton said this was not the case.

"Potentially there could have been fireworks but in the event there was a surprising amount of consensus shown by the panellists, with good humour being the order of the occasion.

"We organised this meeting to bring real political debate to a local level. I believe we succeeded in this but there was also a gratifying bonus. The evening clearly demonstrated that such debates can be civilised without the acrimony which has brought politics into disrepute.

"We held a similar meeting last year but this one was even more popular. It could well become a regular feature on the Uley calendar."