More angry exchanges at final hustings debate

Greg Barker again refuted allegations made by Trust Party candidate Stuart Wheeler that he was 'the most extreme example of those who have made a great deal of money out of taxpayers'.

Mr Barker, local Conservative MP since 2001, called the accusations 'venomous and profoundly untruthful', telling Mr Wheeler he was 'straying from libel into malicious libel'.

The pair met for a second political debate on Tuesday in St Barnabas Church, Sea Road, alongside Parliamentary candidates Mary Varrall, from the Lib Dems, and James Royston, of the Labour party.

BNP candidate for Bexhill and Battle Neil Jackson did not show, despite expectations he would take advantage of the open invitation extended by Churches Together, organisers of Tuesday's debate.

Rev Peter Timms OBE, who chaired the evening, said: "I have made significant efforts to contact the BNP candidate, because I thought it was right. He has declined to be here because he has some other engagement.

Seventy-five-year-old Mr Wheeler, founder of the Trust party, said he stood by his challenge, made in the first hustings on April 8, that Mr Barker had made a 320,000 profit through sale of a property bought with the help of taxpayers money.

He said: "I'm not saying he has a legal requirement to pay this back, but he has a moral requirement."

Mr Barker repeated that his expenses were cleared in Sir Thomas Legg's report, and revealed he sold the Pimlico property after splitting from his ex-wife, Celeste Harrison, because she had 'a significant stake' in it.

As the audience of 190 grew louder with equal amounts of boo-ing and applause, Mr Barker said to Mr Wheeler: "I don't know what they taught you at Eton in the 1930s but it clearly wasn't good manners."

He also challenged Mr Wheeler over his campaign spending: "Will you publish your expenses before the election so people can understand how much you are spending?"

Strict limits on campaign spending (7,150 plus 5p per constituent) are set by the Electoral Commission.

Questions from the audience mostly covered national issues including immigration, climate change and prison overcrowding.

On a local level, James Royston joined with Mr Barker, saying he would fight against the closure of any more post offices, adding that he was: "A young local candidate who cares passionately about his local area."

On transport, Mary Varrall (Lib Dem) highlighted her campaign against the Bexhill-Hastings Link Road. "I've spent the last five years shadowing our MP," she said. "I think I know what you want."

Ken Hutchinson, of Churches Together in Bexhill, said: "I was very pleased with the number of people, and think the candidates presented themselves capably."