Southern Viewpoint - Seven candidates are after the seat which was won by Julia Drown in 1997

All the candidates were at the meeting, held at Westlea Primary School, to answer questions and try to win over voters ahead of May 5.

They faced questions on issues as wide ranging as the proposed development at Coate, bureaucracy, health services, Gulf War Syndrome and mortgage rates.

Evening Advertiser editor Mark Waldron, who chaired the event, was pleased so many different topics were discussed.

"I think we got away from the national headlines of the election campaign and talked about some issues that matter to local people," he said.

"I think both the Adver hustings, in South and North Swindon, were great events and I am delighted we were able to play our part in helping the democratic process."

Before the questions started each candidate was given a chance to introduce themselves to the audience.

Conservative Robert Buckland began by emphasising how important the election was.

"It is a lie to say politics doesn't matter any more," he said.

"Because when policies hit people's front doors and come into their homes, people still care."

UK Independence Party candidate Stephen Halden set out his party's ideas, arguing that the EU was a 'cesspool of corruption'.

"The Euopean Union has developed from a common market into a European super state," he said. "It is sucking away our sovereignty."

Alan Hayward explained why he was standing as an Indepen-dent.

"I want to stand up for the people of South Swindon," he said. "I think the public have become disillusioned with politics and this apathy is putting democracy under threat."

Bill Hughes, Green Party candidate, said people needed to look to the future.

"I have been living in Swindon since 1972 and I have seen the town expand, expand, expand," he said.

"And there has been more and more traffic, more and more noise and more and more pollution.

"We have got to think of the future."

Labour candidate Anne Snelgrove outlined some of the party's achievements in the town.

"Swindon has benefited under Labour," she said.

"Are you going to take Britain forward with Labour or back to the boom and bust of the Tories?"

Sue Stebbing said a voter had provided her with an answer for why people should vote Lib Dem.

"This woman said to me the Tories screwed it up, Labour have screwed it up so we may as well let you in and see if you screw it up," she said.

"It is time to let the Liberal Democrats have a crack of the whip."

Independent candidate John Williams explained that he wanted to be a truly independent voice in politics.

"The message that I have got going round talking to people in Swindon is that people are cynical of politicians," he said. "They want proper democracy."

Too much bureaucracy or is there a place for targets?

Andy James asked what would the candidates do about the increase in centrally-controlled bureaucracy that we are suffering from in areas such as health, schools and business?

Mrs Snelgrove said the Labour Government had cut regulations for small businesses but insisted there was a place for targets as they improved performance.

"We are making sure that public money is spent well and people are accountable," she said.

"We have cut waiting times and brought about the conditions that have increased children's achievement and that is only because we have insisted that schools meet targets, that health authorities meet targets."

But Mr Buckland, responding to the question, asked by a Conservative member, was quick to criticise the Government for adding red tape.

"We have had a flood of bureaucracy that is strangling local businesses and all our lives," he said.

"This obsession with targets has got to go. I think the way we have gone on letting targets take over everything is wrong.

"What you see is a complete obsession with arbitrary targets."

Mr Hayward said that bureaucracy and targets were issues being raised by voters on the doorstep.

"Teachers, policemen and doctors are all saying the same thing," he said.

"They are drowning under paperwork."

But Dr Stebbing voiced a note of caution.

"One person's bureaucracy is another person's public protection," she said. "Let's not go overboard or we will be back at the stage where we have no idea what is in the food that we are eating."

But Dr Stebbing added that the Lib Dems would address unnecessary bureaucracy, for example by abolishing Ofsted.

Mr Hughes said the impact was seen in local services.

"The poor doctors these days it is like a factory," he said.

"He is looking at his watch as soon as you get in."

Mr Hughes also said that centralisation over recent decades meant that local councils were left with little power.

Mr Halden pointed to the number of regulations coming from the European Union, saying there were 100,000 currently in force.

He also said there ought to be ways of punishing offences by youngsters that did not involve the criminal system.

Mr Williams said that new initiatives, such as all those aimed at schools, were part of the problem.

"It is quite ludicrous," he said. "We have got to set a clear policy at the top at the beginning of a Parliament."

Down at Coate Water they're all singing from the same songsheet

Mark Wheaver said was perhaps the most important issue locally was the future of Coate. There seemed to be differences between the Conservative council's position and that of their candidate. He wanted to know if the parties were really split on the issue.

Mr Buckland admitted there was a difference of opinion between him and some Conservative councillors.

But he insisted he was not just trying to win votes by opposing development.

"I don't think we should be frightened of a difference of opinion," he said.

"My views do come from the heart.

"As your potential MP I will be taking an individual stance on these matters."

Mrs Snelgrove told the audience she had signed the Save Coate petition.

"I honestly don't believe the only two solutions for a new university are Coate Water and the town centre," she said.

"I would work for a viable solution which keeps the University of Bath here on a site or sites acceptable to the people of Swindon."

Mr Hayward, who has argued for a town centre campus in his role at Swindon Civic Trust, said the campus must be there or nowhere.

"I think we have to say if the University of Bath don't want to come in the town centre let's get someone else," he said.

But Mr Hayward said that when he met with the University of Bath they were clear that unless they could build at Coate they were not interested in Swindon.

Mr Williams also spoke out against the development, which he said was being driven by the needs of the housing firms involved.

"A brown field site is very much preferable," he said.

Dr Stebbing returned to the point of the question, which was asked by a Lib Dem supporter in the audience.

She said: "I don't think it is acceptable for an MP to be at odds with his or her local councillors over what is such an important issue.

"Liberal Democrats have consistently opposed the development at Coate."

Mr Halden said the decision on any development would ultimately rest with the council not the MP but said he wanted to preserve green spaces.

"What I love about Swindon is that you can drive in any direction and within 15 minutes you are in the beautiful countryside," he said.

"We must try to keep the beauty spots. And if we are going to build I am not sure a university is what we need."

Mr Hughes widened the issue to other developments in the countryside.

"We are definitely against Coate," he said.

"We are opposed to any sort of green field development until brown field sites are used."

Mr Hughes also highlighted the fact that the development at Coate would include housing and commercial development as well as the university campus.