Candidates for the upcoming General Election battled it out in Hertsmere’s first hustings.

The event took place at Immanuel College, Elstree Road for the students and community of the Jewish school on Monday, May 22.

The Conservative Party incumbent Oliver Dowden was pitted against the Labour Party’s Fiona Smith and Liberal Democrat Dr Joe Jordan.

They were joined by panellists Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg and the school’s chief operating officer Martin Blain in a debate chaired by English teacher Jonathan Kerridge-Phipps.

Each candidate got the chance to outline their manifesto briefly before questions were fielded from the audience.

Mr Dowden announced that he was proud to represent his home patch, and announced that he wanted to protect things such as the green belt that are important to the local community as well as addressing issues on a national level.

He said: “Everyone eligible to vote has a choice to make. Do you want someone with the experience of Theresa May, or the risk of Jeremy Corbyn?”

Fiona Smith congratulated all of the candidates running in spite of the snap decision announced by Theresa May on April 18.

She too urged people to consider the choice they have to make when standing at the ballot box.

She said: “You do still have a choice when you vote, it is not a foregone conclusion.

“You can vote for more of the same from the cruel Conservative Party, or you can vote for Labour, which is the party of change.”

She apologised for a tweet from August 2014 calling the UK government to stop the selling weapons to Israel.

The former military officer also challenged the Conservative manifesto, stating that it had not been costed correctly.

Dr Joe Jordan advised that people could throw rotten tomatoes at him in recompense for the Liberal Democrats compromise on tuition fees.

He compared to the state of the world to various dystopian fictions including George Orwell’s 1984 and comparing The Lego Movie’s President Business to President Donald Trump.

He said: “The way Theresa May keeps repeating ‘strong and stable leadership’ it seems as though she can’t say anything else, which makes me think she is a Dalek. So vote for the Doctor to avoid the Daleks.”