INCUMBENT Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown has been criticised for rejecting invitations to two hustings events in the run up to the General Election on June 8.

Parliamentary candidates Andrew Gant (Liberal Democrat) and Sabrina Poole (Green Party) have both called Conservative Mr Clifton-Brown a “disgrace” for refusing to appear at hustings events at Cirencester College and Baptist Church.

Mr Clifton-Brown did not attend an event at the college last Wednesday, in which candidates answered questions from students.

Instead, fellow incumbent Conservative MP for Stroud, Neil Carmichael attended in his place.

"It is a disgrace that Geoffrey Clifton-Brown is not prepared to take part in the hustings event,” said Mr Gant, referring to the hustings debate to be held in Cirencester Baptist Church on Tuesday, May 30.

“He failed to show up at a similar event at Cirencester College, a brilliant chance to meet the next generation of voters, a wonderful group of young people.

“Instead, he is treating them with contempt,” he said.

Mr Clifton-Brown has held the Cotswold parliamentary seat for 25 years and hustings organisers had asked the other candidates if they would be happy to go ahead with the event on Tuesday without him.

Ms Poole said: “The actions of the Conservatives should not influence whether people can hear the voices of other parties. If they can't be bothered to take part, that's their problem and their loss.

“I think the rest of us should still be given the chance to show voters what we stand for.”

Mr Gant and Ms Poole, as well as Chris Harlow (UKIP) and Mark Huband (Labour), have all confirmed their attendance for the event next week.

Mr Gant went on to say: “I call on him to turn up and explain why he voted Leave when his constituents didn't, and defend the Tories' mean-spirited attack on the old, the sick and the young in their manifesto.

“Like his leader, he is running scared of debate,” he said. “No other country would let them get away with it. The people of the Cotswolds deserve an MP who will listen to them.”

Geoffrey was present at a hustings event on Monday night at Wotton-under-Edge Baptist Church, alongside his fellow Cotswold candidates.

A spokesman for the incumbent MP said: “Geoffrey has a very carefully timed election programme which has been meticulously planned and prepared.

“This schedule runs from Monday to Saturday over the entire course of the election campaign and will enable him to visit and meet residents across virtually all of the 110 villages in the vast Cotswolds constituency and to spend more time in the 11 market towns.

He said: “In all previous elections none of the other candidates have even begun to have this sort of extensive electioneering programme, which of course Geoffrey could not do if he agreed to spend my entire time debating with the other candidates across the Cotswolds.”

He said, this year Mr Clifton-Brown has agreed to participate in two election debates – the one in Wotton and one hosted by BBC Radio Gloucestershire this Thursday (May 25).

“He also contacted Cirencester Baptist Church at the beginning of the election campaign to organise a debate but was informed that this was of no interest,” he added.

The Cirencester Baptist Church hustings was then arranged earlier this month.

The event will begin at 7.30pm until 9pm.

Email your questions to cirendebate@gmail.com by Thursday, May 25, and include your name and contact number.

The event is free of charge but if you are planning to attend please email ryan.merrifield@newsquest.co.uk indicating your rough party size.