VOTERS will have the chance to quiz Darlington’s parliamentary candidates during a live online event which The Northern Echo is hosting tonight.

The candidates, who are all standing to be Darlington’s MP in next month’s General Election, will be taking part in a Facebook Live Question Time style event to be held in The Northern Echo’s Priestgate offices.

All five candidates – Labour’s Jenny Chapman, Conservative Peter Cuthbertson, Anne-Marie Curry of the Liberal Democrats, Kevin Brack of Ukip, and Green Party candidate Matthew Snedkerave have signed up to take part.

The Northern Echo is encouraging readers to send in questions – both on local topics and national issues – to be put to the candidates during the event.

Those watching will also be able to join in the debate by posting their comments online and sending in their own questions as the event unfolds.

Speaking about the event, political editor Chris Lloyd, who will moderate the event, said: “This is our readers’ chance to ask the five people standing to become their next MP a really challenging question.

“It doesn’t matter if its local – say library or health services, given the news stories we’ve carried in the last few days – or if it is national: how will the town fare after Brexit?

“The longer the campaign goes on, the more this feels like an election of a once-in-a-generation importance - the parties are clearly espousing very different policies from each other and it is no longer possible for people to say that they are all the same, but equally a lot of people are feeling politically homeless as the old certainties that dictated their vote are crumbling away.

“And for Darlington, this could be a truly tumultuous election because if the national polls are anywhere near correct, a Conservative candidate could win the seat for the first time since Michael Fallon triumphed in 1987.”

  • Anyone who wants to submit a question is asked to send it, along with their name and town or village that they live in, to matt.westcott@nne.co.uk
  • Visit The Northern Echo Facebook page at 5pm on Tuesday, May 30 to watch and take part.