Quakers in Wales hold general election forum
Friends in Wales held a general election forum in 16 May
Quakers from Bala, Porthmadog and Pwllheli combined to hold a general election forum in Porthmadog Community Centre on 16 May.
All five candidates standing in the Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency were invited to attend. The Plaid Cymru, Conservative and Liberal Democrat candidates were on the platform. The Labour candidate was unable to come in person or to send a representative. The UKIP candidate did not attend either and failed to respond to several messages. Approximately sixty people were in the audience.
Porthmadog Quakers had earlier invited questions from local individuals and groups, in Welsh or English. These were then sorted to eliminate duplication, and the resulting twelve questions were sent in both languages to all the candidates four days before the event. Each candidate had three minutes to respond to the first question and two minutes each in which to respond to the others. Supplementary questions or comments were allowed from the audience. Both questions and answers could be made in either language, and were provided simultaneous translation.
In the end eight subjects were covered: ‘European Union changes’, ‘Social Security’, ‘Economic Inequality’, ‘Asylum Seekers,’ ‘Immigration’, ‘Militarisation’, ‘Refugees’, and ‘Democracy’.
Everyone was asked to behave respectfully, listening to the responses, and speaking only when called on by the chair.
Despite these instructions, the Conservative candidate had to be called repeatedly to order by the chair after shouting across other speakers.
