Six takeaways from the Peterborough election debate

From left to right: Andrew Pakes (Labour), Nick Sandford (Liberal Democrats), Nicola Day (Greens), Chris Mann (presenter), Paul Bristow (Conservative) and Sue Morris (Reform). Candidates from the Workers Party, Christian People's Alliance and an Independent are also standing

Candidates hoping to be Peterborough's next MP have taken part in a BBC Radio Cambridgeshire general election debate.

Presenter Chris Mann chaired the discussion at Anglia Ruskin University's new campus in Peterborough city centre.

At times the candidates weren't afraid to bicker and interrupt but also shared some common ground.

Here are some takeaways from the 90-minute debate on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire and iPlayer.

1. Peterborough's a dental desert

A comment from man in Cambridgeshire who goes to Bulgaria for his teeth prompted a bit of a ding-dong over dental care.

Labour's Andrew Pakes said fixing NHS dentistry would be his "top priority" for the city and told Paul Bristow (Conservative) his party had failed to reform the NHS dental contract.

Mr Bristow said he has plans to open two NHS dental surgeries in Peterborough.

Nick Sandford (Liberal Democrat) gave an example of a woman in Peterborough travelling to Kettering to see an NHS dentist, which he said was "completely unacceptable".

Everyone agreed something needed to change, so people in the city could get NHS dental care.

2. They shared a moment of unity

The story of a nurse who works in palliative care to help people in Fenland die with dignity prompted some heartfelt stories from the candidates.

Andrew Pakes (Labour) said he saw first-hand the "incredible care" given by NHS staff when his brother passed away, but that they lacked support and resources.

Paul Bristow (Conservative) spoke of his father who had also died at home, and Sue Morris (Reform) told of of her late mother's home care.

Nicola Day (Green) said end-of-life dignity was important, while Nick Sandford (Liberal Democrat) agreed that social care should be free.

3. They had mixed views on immigration

While Andrew Pakes (Labour) said he loved the diversity of the city, he said people were "right to be concerned" about levels of net migration. Reform's Sue Morris said legal migration needed to be slowed down or even stopped.

Paul Bristow (Conservative) said he had been called a racist for opposing the use of a city centre hotel for migrants, arguing that people in Peterborough were also concerned.

Nick Sandford (Liberal Democrat) and Nicola Day (Green) said they wanted to see an end to hostility towards asylum seekers.

4. They differed on net zero

The Greens' Nicola Day said the country's net zero target should be brought forward to 2040, and Nick Sandford (Lib Dems) suggested 2045, while Reform's Sue Morris said the current 2050 target was "too expensive".

The Tories' Paul Bristow said Peterborough should be a hub for energy transition, and Labour's Andrew Pakes supported the idea of "green collar apprenticeships" to train skills such as electric car maintenance.

5. They had a wishlist for the city centre

Nick Sandford (Lib Dem) said Peterborough needed a new local plan and that out-of-town shopping had been prioritised for too long, while Reform's Sue Morris said we should "recognise the value" of small businesses.

Paul Bristow (Conservative) said Peterborough had declined in the past 30 years and reminisced on his nightclubbing days in the city, saying Towns Fund money already secured for the city centre needed to be spent well.

Andrew Pakes (Labour) agreed with Mr Bristow's comments and said he would "raise him" on his plans for the city centre, while Nicola Day (Green) said she wanted a new state-of-the-art swimming pool for Peterborough to replace the regional pool.

6. Age is just a number

Sue Morris raised some smiles from the panel when responding to a passing comment about the ageing population.

The Reform candidate said: "I'm 76, I still work full time... I can run, I've lost four dress sizes over the last few years."

Paul Bristow (Conservative) joked that he wouldn't fancy taking on Sue at the city's parkrun. "I think she'd beat me."

You can find the full list of candidates here.

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