ByMatt Knight,BBC political reporter, Essex
BBC
The politicians wanting to be the next Chelmsford MP have been facing questions from the public in a BBC Essex election debate.
Four of the nine candidates met at a F Cooke & Sons traditional pie and mash shop in the city centre and faced questions submitted through the BBC's Your Voice, Your Vote.
Here are my main takeaways from what happened:
1. Three-way fight
The Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Labour candidates were quick to pick up political points on their opponents, criticising and cajoling in equal measure, leaving little room for the Green candidate to make an impact.
This is a closely fought constituency with has returned Conservative MPs since the 1950s, but it currently has a Lib Dem-controlled city council and Labour is polling well nationally.
At times, the Conservatives felt the flak of both main opponents on crime and "14 years of failure”, but the city council was criticised too over the issue of whether enough new and affordable housing had been built.
All candidates will have hoped to land solid blows in the minds of voters.
2. Crime and punishment
A big talking point on the doorsteps and in the cafes has been the question of whether people feel safe.
It is clear the parties all agree more needs to be done, but how is interesting. The Liberal Democrat candidate Marie Goldman says we need a new approach to tackle knife crime, with public health measures used to to curb gangs and the carrying culture.
The Conservatives' Vicky Ford pointed to record numbers of police officers in Essex and the impact of hotspot policing, targeting areas with new officers and a reduction in overall crime.
Labour's Richard Parry thinks we need a return to proper neighbourhood policing and pointed to the unacceptable conditions at HMP Chelmsford, while Green candidate Reza Hossain admitted higher taxes would be needed to fund more police and public services.
3. Immigration
Like many areas, Chelmsford has seen hotels and flats commandeered by government to accommodate those arriving in the UK on small boats or by other means. As always the issue prompts the most emotional language.
The Conservatives' Vicky Ford reiterated her party's policy to "stop the boats" and said she had tried to end the use of city centre flats being used to house migrants/refugees. Her call for an annual cap on immigration might be easier said than done.
Labour's Richard Parry had to field awkward questions on what party leader Sir Keir Starmer would do instead of sending those arriving illegally to Rwanda, but hit back to at the way asylum and immigration has been handled by the government with big backlogs and little action.
Marie Goldman, for the Lib Dems, says we need to think about how immigrants find employment while their status is being decided, instead of relying on benefits.
4. People and potholes
Questions from real people living in the city added to the authenticity of this debate with lived experience putting politicians on the spot.
Suzanna, a shop owner in Moulsham Street, highlighted the contrast in the city with the independent shopping street feeling a world away from the big chains nearby.
There was consensus among the candidates to do more for small businesses with talk of properly taxing the global online sellers and looking at business rate changes to help shopkeepers on the ground.
But there were also clashes about how we get to our local shops on public transport and over our potholed roads.
At one point, Ms Ford used her phone to calculate how many potholes would be fixed in Chelmsford under Labour’s annual one million fixing pledge. Three hundred and seven for those keeping count.
5. Can I trust you?
The campaign in Essex has become the personality election with candidates arriving in the county from far and wide in recent weeks, so a question on commitment and trust seemed fitting.
James asked whether this election was all about the candidates or the people of Chelmsford? Interestingly, that topic of trust had been raised on the doorstep according to all those present.
Concern at comments of "you are all the same" upset some of the candidates, with Labour, the Greens and Lib Dems saying they would do politics differently, with the Conservative prepared to stand on her local record with constituents.
As we watched the debate draw to an end with talk of those late night election snacks needed by all of us covering politics, one can only hope this has whetted the appetite of those voters still to make up their minds in Chelmsford ahead of polling day on 4 July.
The other five candidates standing are Darren Ingrouille for Reform UK, Mark Kenlen for the Workers Party of Britain, Mark Lawrence of the Monster Raving Loony Party, Richard Hyland from the Independent Network and Kamla Sangha, another Independent.
You can find a full list of candidates standing in the Chelmsford constituency here.
Chelmsford
General election 2024
