FACING into a gale blowing raindrops like bullets, and against a backdrop of scaffolders dropping poles and a religious ranter shouting about the Bible, the five candidates standing in Darlington were quizzed in front of the television cameras yesterday lunchtime.

They faced questions about the future of the Northern Powerhouse, benefits cuts, the energy market, social care and the effect of a rising minimum wage on small businesses.

The debate became quite heated when the Conservative candidate Peter Cuthbertson said that the 350 Department of Education jobs had stayed in the town as part of the Government's commitment to the Northern Powerhouse, and Labour's Jenny Chapman shot back: "It's only because I bloody well fought for them."

With Joseph Pease's statue looking silently down, the questions were put by members of the public with the BBC's Richard Moss acting as moderator. The results will be shown on Look North tomorrow evening. A similar question time is to be held in Bishop Auckland.

Marlene Holbrook, of Darlington, asked about benefit cuts, saying her 35-year-old disabled daughter had lost more than £300-a-month. Matthew Snedker, of the Green Party, spoke of the "tremendous value" of carers – "if people like you weren't there, the amount the Government would have to spend is enormous", he told her.

Anne-Marie Currie, for the Liberal Democrats, said she was appalled at how the Government treated disabled people and spoke of a "frightening 35 page form" people applying for the Disabled Living Allowance needed to tackle.

Ms Chapman said that "a lot of this comes down to the cuts in funding to local authorities", but this time Mr Cuthbertson shot back: "Like so many Green Party policies and Jeremy Corbyn policies, if money grew on trees, it would be fine."

Ukip's Ted Brack said his party would cut international aid and put the money into the care system.

The last questioner was racecourse bookmaker Brian Clarke who said the odds on Jeremy Corbyn being Prime Minister next month were at least 25-1.