PARLIAMENTARY candidates are limbering up for a political showdown hosted by the Standard.

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Con), Paul Hodgkinson (LD), Manjinder Kang (Lab), Chris Harlow (UKIP) and Penny Burgess (Green) will battle it out in the Sundial Theatre, Cirencester, on Thursday, April 23.

Tickets are free and the doors open at 6.00pm for a 6.30pm start.

This could be the tightest contest in a generation as Mr Hodgkinson tries to wrestle the seat from Mr Clifton-Brown, who has been in office for 23 years.

He said: “I did one hustings at the last election. I shall be doing three at this election which is a 300% increase. Every candidate in every constituency will adopt a different approach to these hustings.”

The hustings will be a question time-style debate with candidates fielding questions on everything from the NHS to the economy.

Lib Dem hopeful Paul Hodgkinson is a councillor for Cotswold District Council and Gloucestershire County Council.

He said: “Hustings are really important, especially with people feeling disconnected from politics. It is an opportunity to hear the views people stand for – and it’s a chance to challenge those views.

"By the time the election happens, more than 1,000 people will have watched hustings in the Cotswolds and that’s really good to see.”

Churches Together in Cirencester, a group that promotes friendship between religious groups, is helping to organise the event.

Chair Matt Frost will be hosting the event, he said: “It’s going to be exciting. I think it is an opportunity for the community in and around Cirencester to have a chance to talk to these guys in one place.

“It’s a chance to see these people face to face and not second or third hand, I hope also it will make people realise that these aren’t just politicians, but people too.”

This year will see a strong surge from UKIP, who are planning to contest more than 10 seats in the local elections and have recently opened a parliamentary shop in Cirencester.