Exeter Cathedral to host hustings

Exeter Cathedral is inviting members of the public to hear from the main political party candidates standing to represent Exeter in the upcoming general election.

The hustings, which has been supported by The University of Exeter Students’ Guild, will be held at the cathedral tomorrow (Wednesday 26 June). As well as hearing from the candidates, attendees are also invited to submit questions that they would like the candidates to answer.

Candidates confirmed to attend the hustings include Steve Race of the Labour Party, Tessa Tucker of the Conservatives, Will Aczel of the Liberal Democrats, and Andrew Bell of the Green Party.

For The Very Revd Jonathan Greener, Dean of Exeter, who will be chairing the event, the cathedral’s role as a city centre community hub made it the obvious venue. He explained:

“Exeter Cathedral has been a place of gathering in the heart of the community for nearly a thousand years, so it seems right for us to host this hustings ahead of the general election. It will be an important opportunity to see and hear from those who wish to represent us in Parliament.”

Next month, Exeter Cathedral will also host a special evensong service to give thanks and say farewell to the city’s current MP, Ben Bradshaw, who has held the parliamentary seat of Exeter since 1997. Ben announced in 2022 that he would step down at the next general election, after representing the constituency for 27 years. Members of the public are invited to the service at the cathedral, which will take place on Tuesday 9 July at 5:30pm.

The hustings will take place at Exeter Cathedral on Wednesday 26 June at 7pm and is free to attend, however advance booking is required via the Exeter Cathedral website.

Questions for the candidates should be submitted ahead of the event by email.