Candidates go head to head as they set out their priorities at Blackpool North and Fleetwood hustings

Seven of the would-be MPs for the seat attended a lively hustings debate at The Venue in Cleveleys organised by The Blackpool Gazette and Blackpool Lead in conjunction with Shelter Lancashire.

Paul Maynard has represented Blackpool North and Cleveleys as MP for the Conservatives since 2010 and said he would "stand on my record as being a diligent constituency MP over the last 14 years".

He said this had included working across the party divide to "help bring in hundreds of millions of pounds into the town of Blackpool to start our regeneration process".

Mr Maynard said he hoped to put aside the 'partisan nature' of politics in Fleetwood in order to progress the town forward, while he would continue to fight for better access to local services in Thornton and Cleveleys where there are pressures from housing development.

Labour candidate Lorraine Beavers was unable to attend the hustings due to family commitments, but Labour Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire Clive Grunshaw represented her.

He said a Labour government would be "committed to stabilising the economy, committed to investing, getting neighbourhood policing back on the streets and tackling anti-social behaviour".

But he also told the audience Ms Beavers would be the most deserving winner on July 4.

He said: "She is without doubt the one who not only deserves it more than any other but will do the job better than any other because of the way she genuinely cares about other people."

Reform UK candidate Dan Barker warned the election was "the most important we have had in recent times" because it would give people chance to vote for something other than the two main parties.

He predicted Labour would make up the next government but "Reform UK will be the voice of the opposition which will hold them to account and will point out the bad ideas and present an alternative vision for this country".

Mr Barker pledged to bring more year-round jobs "primarily by re-opening Blackpool Airport, bringing fishing back to Fleetwood, re-opening the rail link from Fleetwood to Poulton and by backing the police and bringing 40,000 police in".

Bill Greene, standing for the Liberal Democrats, put supporting better social care at the centre of his manifesto after saying many members of his own family worked in the sector.

He said: "The main thing I am standing for in this election is that we have to look at the care sector.

"There are people being left to wallow in situations which are terrible. People have to be looked after, and that means the people who look after them have got to be paid the right amount of money."

Green Party candidate Tina Rothery said her party also wanted to challenge whoever was in government but added tackling poor education standards was also a priority.

She said: "I have come out of supply teaching and it was soul destroying. The state of the classrooms, overcrowded classes and the inability to provide the most important thing for young people which is hope.

"There is not a lot to tell them because jobs in the town are so poor. My party is about keeping nature and the environment safe for generations to come and we can't ignore that."

Independent candidate Gita Gordon said she had worked in care services and for the NHS, including as a frontline worker during the pandemic which had given her an insight into the difficulties people faced and prompted her to stand for Parliament.

She said: "It takes somebody local who needs to stand up and speak up. I am independent and not afraid to speak up and not afraid of any bosses sitting in Westminster.

"An Independent can speak louder as I am not afraid of losing the whip. I cannot be suspended or kicked out of Parliament just because I am speaking up for the people."

James Antony Rust, also known as Crackers Count Corrosion of Forlorn Hope, and representing the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, brought an element of eccentricity to the proceedings with calls for the return of 5p stamps and the postcard industry.

He also said renaming Rossall Point Watch Tower as the 'Leaning Tower of Rossall' would attract more tourists, while a Formula One racetrack and 'starship base' would bring year-round jobs.

Jan Cresswell, of the Social Democratic Party, is also standing, but did not take part in the hustings.