April 25, 2015 12.21 pm This story is over 116 months old

Lincoln MP candidates answer your Big 5 Questions

Big 5 Questions: Catch up with what all the candidates had to say as part of The Lincolnite’s Big 5 Questions interview series.

The six candidates fighting to become Lincoln’s next MP have all visited The Lincolnite this week to be interviewed for the exclusive Big 5 Questions series.

The candidates vying to be Lincoln's next MP.

The candidates vying to be Lincoln’s next MP.

The Lincolnite asked readers on social media what were the most important elections topics for them, and through a poll on the website, the final five questions were selected. We then asked each candidate the same questions for you. Each interview was streamed live on Periscope and all the videos are also available on The Lincolnite YouTube channel.

Watch what the Lincoln MP candidates had to say:

Ross Pepper (Liberal Democrats)

Lib Dem candidate Ross Pepper was up first on Monday, addressing transport and housing issues. He also offered his explanation for his party’s u-turn on tuition fees.

Helen Powell (Lincolnshire Independents)

Helen Powell from the Lincolnshire Independents was the first of two visitors to The Lincolnite on Tuesday. She gave detailed answers on the much-discussed Eastern Bypass, higher education, and the lack of house-building in the city.

Elaine Smith (TUSC)

The second candidate on Tuesday to be interviewed was TUSC’s Elaine Smith, who argued against the austerity agenda and privatisation of key services in Lincoln. She also expressed her concerns about the Eastern Bypass project.

Karl McCartney (Conservatives)

Conservative candidate and former MP for the city Karl McCartney visited The Lincolnite on Wednesday, giving his views on the Eastern Bypass and housing issues in the city. He also offered a defence of the NHS services in the city in light of negative publicity United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust has received in recent years.

Lucy Rigby (Labour)

Labour’s Lucy Rigby was up next on Thursday, and gave her thoughts on how she would help small businesses in Lincoln and address the skills gap. She also explained the reasons behind her party’s policy to reduce tuition fees from £9,000 £6,000.

Nick Smith (UKIP)

UKIP candidate Nick Smith was the last parliamentary hopeful to take part in the Big 5 Questions. He suggested a new suburb should be built on the edge of Lincoln, and answered questions on tuition fees and the NHS.

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You can keep up to date with the latest Lincoln politics news, interviews and events by following our Elections 2015 hub, and by using #LincolnVotes on social media.