Hustings to be held for Eastbourne over climate change

A Climate Emergency hustings will be held online for Eastbourne voters to hear what political parties have to say ahead of next month’s council elections.
File: Eastbourne seafront/Eastbourne beach/Eastbourne pier and seafront lighting. SUS-210324-130124001File: Eastbourne seafront/Eastbourne beach/Eastbourne pier and seafront lighting. SUS-210324-130124001
File: Eastbourne seafront/Eastbourne beach/Eastbourne pier and seafront lighting. SUS-210324-130124001

It is on Thursday April 22 at 7.30pm and will be held via Zoom.

The event has been organised by Eastbourne Friends of the Earth and chaired by Oliver Sterno, the founder of Plastic Free Eastbourne.

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The election for East Sussex County Council is on Thursday May 6.

Mr Sterno said, ”This hustings will be a unique opportunity for voters to hear at first hand what the local political parties have to say about the Climate Emergency and how to deal with its challenges effectively, especially here in Eastbourne.

“As a largely low-lying coastal community, Eastbourne is in the front line of climate change as it confronts the rising seas and stronger storms of a rapidly warming world.

“In July 2019 Eastbourne councillors unanimously passed a Climate Emergency motion which committed the council to deliver a carbon neutral Eastbourne by 2030.

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“In October 2019, East Sussex County Council also passed a Climate Emergency motion, committing the county council to become carbon neutral by 2050 at the latest.”

Each of the four main political parties contesting the election – Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Labour and the Green Party – have accepted the invitation to send a representative to the hustings.

Those taking part so far are Eastbourne council leader and Lib Dem David Tutt, Nick Bennett, the Conservative deputy leader of East Sussex County Council and the Green Party’s Alex Hough.

Questions can be submitted to the hustings organisers from Eastbourne residents and groups before and during the webinar. Each party representative will have a short and equal amount of time to make an opening statement about the Climate Emergency at the start of the hustings and then have an equal but limited amount of time to answer each question put to them.

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Eastbourne Friends of the Earth is an official local group affiliated with the national Friends of the Earth charity and is strictly apolitical. It is hosting the hustings as a public service which helps the Eastbourne electorate to be as fully informed as possible about what local county council candidates propose could, or should, be done about the Climate Emergency if they are elected to East Sussex County Council.

Registration for the hustings webinar is now live. Full details of how to register are on Eastbourne and District Friends of the Earth’s Facebook event page or by emailing: [email protected].

The hustings will also be livestreamed to Eastbourne Friends of the Earth’s YouTube channel.