General Election Debate 23 April – Update

The Weymouth & Portland business community are being asked to suggest questions to be put to five South Dorset parliamentary candidates at a special Question Time style debate, beginning at 7pm on Friday 23 April at Weymouth College theatre – coincidentally St. George’s Day.

Now that the General Election is set for Thursday 6 May and the manifestos are being published, it will be an opportunity for South Dorset businesspeople to hear what the candidates have to say. It will be an opportunity for the politicians to explain their party’s line on local and national business issues.

The business-orientated hustings are being organised by Weymouth & Portland Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Tourism. The independent Chairman will be Sue Moore, Principal of Weymouth College. A similar debate was held in May 2005 at Budmouth College.

So far, five South Dorset candidates have been invited- Jim Knight [Labour,] Richard Drax [Conservative,] Ros Kayes [Liberal Democrat,] Mike Hobson [UK Independence Party] and Brian Heatley [Green.]

Weymouth, Portland and Swanage Chamber of Commerce members are being invited to suggest questions in advance, to be put to the panel of politicians. They will not be revealed to the panel in advance.

Local businesspeople who are not Chamber members will be welcome to attend as part of the audience and can suggest questions, although Chamber members will have priority. Wessex FM radio will be collecting questions during their programmes. Questions should be sent to Chamber Secretary Michel Hooper-Immins at secretarywpccit@btinternet.com or by post to WPCCIT, P. O. Box 3049, Weymouth. DT4 0YT.

The debate is scheduled to last about 90 minutes, from 7pm to around 8.30pm. WPCCIT President Councillor Nigel Reed will introduce proceedings from the stage of Weymouth College theatre.

As Swanage is part of the South Dorset constituency, President Brian Barker and members of Swanage Chamber of Trade and Commerce have been invited to join Weymouth & Portland members at the event.

“I am most grateful to Sue Moore for her public spiritedness in offering the Weymouth College theatre,” says WPCCIT Secretary Michel Hooper-Immins “and for agreeing to chair what I am sure will be a very interesting hour and a half’s debate during which local business issues will be well to the fore.”

WPCCIT President Nigel Reed comments: “This type of event is an important part of the democratic process for businesses, as their success is crucial to the local economy. It will be interesting to see what each candidate and their party are offering, to convince people in business that they are the right party to govern. You tend not to have this opportunity after an election!”

Weymouth College Principal Sue Moore says: “Weymouth College is delighted to be selected by the Weymouth and Portland Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Tourism to host this important and prestigious event. It will be an excellent opportunity to get the South Dorset candidates together to focus on the real issues which will affect us over the life of the next parliament. It will also provide the right atmosphere for our students to understand the political issues of the day and to get involved in the organisation of this influential debate.”