Summary

  • Candidates for the Corby and East Northamptonshire constituency answer your questions ahead of the 2024 general election

  • Annabel Amos hosts the discussion, at the Good Bean Cafe in Corby

  1. Welcome to our live debate coveragepublished at 07:33 British Summer Time 2 July

    We will be bringing you live coverage of the Corby and East Northamptonshire constituency debate from 09:00 BST to 10:00.

    Five of the candidates are taking part in the discussion at the Good Bean Cafe in Corby, ahead of Thursday's general election.

    It will be hosted by BBC Radio Northampton's Annabel Amos.

    To watch the debate live, click the play button above.

  2. The candidates standing in Corby and East Northamptonshirepublished at 07:33 British Summer Time 2 July

    Laura Coffey
    Political reporter, BBC Northamptonshire

    Lee Barron (Labour)

    Lee Barron has lived in Northamptonshire his whole life. His father was a bootmaker in Raunds. He worked as a postal worker with Royal Mail and became a trade union representative.

    Lee Forster (Green)

    Lee Forster has been involved in campaigns for better air quality for more than a decade. He has two sons and, in addition to his day job, regularly DJs around the area.

    Chris Lofts (Liberal Democrat)

    Chris Lofts has lived in Northamptonshire for nearly 30 years and was deputy chief executive of South Northamptonshire Council. He has worked for a number of local charities and is married with two daughters.

    Eddie McDonald (Reform UK)

    Eddie McDonald has lived in the constituency for about 10 years. He was a police officer in the county for 30 years. His wife is a school teacher and he has four children.

    Tom Pursglove (Conservative)

    Tom Pursglove grew up in Wellingborough. He previously worked for Daventry MP Chris Heaton-Harris and has represented the Corby constituency since 2015.

    Also standing in the Corby and East Northamptonshire constituency is independent candidate Karen Blott.

    Corby election debate candidates
  3. What can we expect in this debate?published at 07:33 British Summer Time 2 July

    Laura Coffey
    Political reporter, BBC Northamptonshire

    This seat has swung between the Conservatives and Labour since the 1980s. Tory candidate Tom Pursglove has represented Corby since 2015.

    Boundary changes have seen the constituency's area reduced and its name changed to reflect that.

    The town of Corby was built on the steel industry and the legacy is still clear to see. It has often been referred to as "little Scotland" due to the number of Scots who migrated south to work in the town’s steelworks 90 years ago.

    Corby town centre.Image source, Getty Images

    Like most places, the cost of living, crime and lack of GP appointments are some of the key issues on people's minds.

    This seat is a key target for Labour. They lost it in 2015 to the Conservatives having only won it back in 2012 in a by-election. Labour had previously held the seat between 1997 and 2010.

    The party has had recent success in the county, winning the Wellingborough by-election and the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner election.