The morning after the seven-way #kingston hustings election debate for Kingston and Surbiton

The seven candidates, by now thoroughly familiar with each other after a string of the question-and-answer events, clashed most fiercely on the NHS and social issues including welfare reform.

Laurel Fogarty takes on James Berry over welfare reform. Pic: Jon Sharman

Labour challenger Lee Godfrey accused Liberal Democrat incumbent Ed Davey over the levy, which sees housing benefit docked if a recipient has a spare bedroom. He recounted the story of a woman hit by the tax who he said could not keep up.

He said: “I later found she had committed suicide. I was not prepared to stand aside anymore. It was then that I decided to run for parliament.”

Daniel Gill, from the Christian People’s Alliance, argued for an increase in the minimum wage as a counter to welfare reform, but added that money is not the only solution and that a more caring approach is needed.

TUSC hopeful Laurel Fogarty added: “£120bn is avoided in tax every year. If the Tories were as willing to tax their rich friends as they are making cuts we wouldn’t have the problems we do.”

Conservative contender James Berry took umbrage at that. He was perhaps on firmer ground on the question of protection for whistleblowers in the public services – which Mr Davey was accused of voting against at the end of this parliament.

Mr Davey said his vote was based on advice from the solicitor general.

Mr Berry, a barrister, said he would have voted the other way, after representing a number of police whistleblowers and seeing “a big fear of repercussions” from coming forward with complaints.

He also defended his party’s record on the NHS and said it was still free at the point of use.

But both he and Mr Davey came under fire for their parties’ introduction of the Health and Social Care Act which the Greens’ Clare Keogh said had allowed “privatisation” of services.

• Kingston Hospital faces £15m budget cut and is forced into deficit by 'extreme pressure' from government austerity

Laurel Fogarty hit her stride on the NHS and said she was standing up for health workers who had endured a pay freeze under this government.

Ben Roberts, of UKIP, criticised Labour’s “weaponisation” of the health service as a political issue as well as disastrous private finance initiatives that mean hospitals pay back millions of pounds more than they borrowed to build services.

All that stemmed from a question on ambulance waiting times – too long, according to audience member Alison McWhinnie.

Transport is a bugbear for many in the borough, from cancelled trains at Chessington to short and cramped ones at Surbiton.

• People with disabilities and the elderly 'let down' by lack of access

All the candidates agreed on the need for change, but solutions varied wildly from total renationalisation of the railways to ensuring Crossrail 2 – still years away – serves our area.

James Berry criticised “antiquated railway stations that are appalling in terms of disabled access” while Ed Davey sought to remind the audience of his campaigning track record on the problem.

Labour’s Lee Godfrey proposed a public sector operator to challenge South West Trains but Ben Roberts said he could not back nationalisation.

Ben Roberts versus Clare Keogh. Pic: Kai Lyu

Clare Keogh was first to set out her stall after a question on climate change and accused Energy Secretary Ed Davey of a string of failings – to which the response came: “And I’ve only got a minute?”

Mr Davey said he had led the way on getting deals done between nations to bring down carbon emissions.

Wind farms were the target of Ben Roberts’ ire, while Laurel Fogarty argued that capitalism is the wrong system through which to tackle climate change.

• The Surrey Comet would like to thank Kingston College for hosting the event, Kai Lyu for her photography and Dickson Cossar for providing sound.

Kingston College principal Peter Mayhew-Smith said: “It was great to welcome the different political parties into the college last night.

“We had a good knock-about political debate in front of a full and lively audience and it really helped to bring the election to life in a very positive way.”

Did you attend the hustings? Were you swayed by the candidates’ offerings? Comment below or write to letters@surreycomet.co.uk. To relive the whole thing, click here to read our live blog.