 | 'David Kerr, of the Scottish National Party, highlighted the cost of keeping nuclear weapons. He contrasted how much was being spent on Trident compared with that being spent on implementing the Sutherland recommendations into long term care. Mr Kerr added that given the option of funding nuclear weapons or looking after the country's pensioners, the Labour Party was 'on the same side as the Tories'.' BBC Scotland News, 12 th December 2000. |  |
More than 50 people attended the session in the constituency on Monday evening.
Candidates Iain Hunter, Eric Joyce, David Kerr, Hugh O'Donnell, and Craig Stevenson faced a plethora of questions.
In his introduction Scottish Socialist Mr Hunter turned back the clock to 1974 and reminded the audience how outgoing MP Dennis Canavan first fought the seat.
Mr Hunter said he stood on a platform of renationalising the oil and gas industry and of redistributing wealth through progressive taxation.
The Westminster hopeful went on to say that those were precisely the policies being promoted by his party.
And Mr Hunter won applause when he said it appeared new Labour had "stolen some of Thatcher's clothes" on the issue of taxation policy.
Mr Stevenson, Conservative Party candidate, took his opponents to task over the issue of tuition fees and said his party was the only one which had voted against the introduction.
He then turned his attentions to Labour and pensions, saying the incumbents were good at "speaking big", but were short on action.
'We are different'
And Mr Stevenson insisted that the average pensioner had to pay out more money "just to stand still."
For the Liberal Democrats the contest is potentially difficult because the party is in coalition with Labour in Scotland, but in opposition at Westminster.
Its candidate Hugh O'Donnell stressed the differences between the two and criticised the chancellor for not making better use of the windfall from the fuel tax escalator.
He said more should have been done to invest in the country's infrastructure such as the railways and roads.
The disparate, but reserved, subjects of Trident and abortion were also raised during the hustings.
David Kerr, of the Scottish National Party, highlighted the cost of keeping nuclear weapons.
He contrasted how much was being spent on Trident compared with that being spent on implementing the Sutherland recommendations into long term care.
Mr Kerr added that given the option of funding nuclear weapons or looking after the country's pensioners, the Labour Party was "on the same side as the Tories".
On local issues, Falkirk Royal Infirmary and its future was high on the agenda.
Labour's Eric Joyce received the backing of many in the audience when he said he condemned anyone who supported the closure of the hospital.
Two further hustings are due to take place before the 21 December poll - one on Tuesday evening, the other on Wednesday.
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