SEVEN parliamentary candidates vying for the Frome and East Somerset seat in the General Election will be quizzed at hustings event - just two days before people head to the polls.

The event, which is being organised by Frome Town Council and will involve all candidates seeking election in a new constituency, will be held at the Cheese and Grain from 7pm until 9pm on Tuesday, July 2.

Boundary changes in Somerset, which were approved by central government earlier in 2024, have increased the number of constituencies in Somerset from five to seven and Frome’s former constituency of Somerton and Frome no longer exists.

The hustings offers a chance for members of the public to to meet the prospective candidates, put their questions forward about local and national issues, listen to the views of others living in Frome and East Somerset, and to generally get involved. 

The seven candidates standing in Frome and East Somerset are:  

  • Martin Dimery – Green Party
  • Gavin Heathcote – Independent
  • Shaun Hughes (Independent)
  • Robin Moss – Labour Party
  • Anna Sabine – Liberal Democrats
  • David Swain – Reform UK
  • Lucy Trimnell– Conservative Party

Booking is essential and questions can be submitted in advance via the webform at: bit.ly/frome-hustings-questions, by calling Frome Town Council at 01373 465757, by emailing [email protected], or by dropping in to the Town Hall. To book a place at the hustings, visit https://bit.ly/Hustings-24.

According to a report by the Independent based on research by Techne UK, Britain could be heading for the lowest turnout General Election turnout on modern history, and even during the middle of an election campaign, around 20 per cent of people have already decided not to vote.

According to a poll by Techne UK, 30 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds are not even registered to vote. The BBC also reported that millions of people had not yet registered to vote ahead of the of the deadline of 11.59pm on Tuesday, June 19.

Just over 2.1 million people have registered since the election was called in May, government data shows.

Data also reveals that Thursday, June 13, was the busiest day for people registering to vote this year with 330,621 applications submitted. This figure included 75,605 people aged 18 to 24.

But the Electoral Commission says young people, private renters and those who have recently moved house are less likely to be correctly registered to vote.