CANDIDATES battling it out to become Wyre Forest's next MP were quizzed by students at Kidderminster College during a hustings event. 

The panel of party candidates included Mark Garnier standing for the Conservatives, Shazu Miah of the Liberal Democrats, John Davis of the Green Party and Bill Hopkins for Reform UK. 

Rod Stanczyszyn appeared on the panel in place of Labour Party candidate Vicki Smith, who did not attend due to illness. 

The candidates were asked for their views on issues ranging from the NHS and climate change, to the cost of car insurance and Rishi Sunak's national service plan. 

On the NHS, Mr Stanczyszyn said Labour's "focus" is to make sure that the NHS is "fit for purpose for the rest of this century".

Mr Miah said the Liberal Democrats would fund 8,000 more GPs in communities so people can access a doctor within seven days by "properly" funding it. 

Bill Hopkins said the NHS needs to be "totally reformed" and reorganised and described it as a "bottomless pit." 

Mark Garnier said: "We are looking to recruit a further 28,000 doctors and a further 92,000 nurses". 

John Davis said: "We know we need more nurses in the NHS, so the Green Party will pay people properly. We don't want any more strikes from junior doctors or anybody else". 

(Image: Kidderminster College)

Asked about how parties will try and limit the effects of climate change, Mr Hopkins said: "I think too much hype has been put on climate change. From our point of view, we think it's an environmental change that's occurring in the world which has always happened".

Mark Garnier said: "Bill is right the climate changes on the planet have been changing for 4.6 billion years, where he's wrong though is that the climate changing is now ten times faster and it's entirely man-made.

"So we have to deal with this". 

Mr Stanczyszyn said Labour's plan for climate change is to give people the opportunity to have more onshore wind and solar panels.
Mr Miah said his party would "restore the UK's role as a global leader on climate change."

Mr Davis said: "We don't look at any policy without looking at the effects on the environment". He also spoke against nuclear power and said "there are alternatives out there and we can harness them". 

Also standing in the election are independent candidates Leigh Whitehouse and Nigel Geary.