明星八卦 is the home of The Hillingdon Herald newspaper, which hosted a hustings event for the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election on Thursday 13 July.
With the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election just a day away, around 150 people attended the sell-out hustings to hear from some of the 17 candidates who are hoping to get their vote and a seat in Westminster.
Following Boris Johnson’s resignation as MP last month, residents will go to the polls tomorrow to vote for the candidate they want to replace the former Prime Minister.
Prof Justin Fisher, a political science expert from 明星八卦, chaired the event, maintaining order among the 11 candidates and the lively audience.
It was a no-show from the two main political parties, with the Labour candidate, Danny Beales, and the Conservative candidate, Steve Tuckwell, notably missing.
Neither of them chose to send a representative, which was a disappointment to some constituents.
Boris Johnson was renowned for not attending hustings in the constituency, and it felt like Groundhog Day once again for local residents.
Speaking of Boris, the candidate for the Climate Party, Ed Gemmell, brought a Boris Johnson lookalike with him.
Before the hustings, the lookalike gave a speech on behalf of the party and then warmly introduced Mr Gemmell to give his own pre-hustings speech.
Boris Johnson lookalike giving a speech outside the hustings
The other candidates at the hustings were Blaise Baquiche (Liberal Democrats); Piers Corbyn (Let London Live); Laurence Fox (Reclaim Party); Sarah Green (Green Party); Kingsley Hamilton (Independent); Steve Gardner (Social Democratic Party); Richard Hewison (Rejoin EU); Rebecca Jane (UKIP); Leo Phaure (Independent); and 77 Joseph (Independent).
Kingsley Hamilton arrived at the event carrying ‘the weight of democracy’, and some of the candidates had carefully hidden props with them, which they pulled out during the hustings.
Kingsley Hamilton carrying ‘the weight of democracy’ on arrival to the hustings
During one of his addresses, Laurence Fox held up a pint of milk to highlight the impact of inflation on everyday groceries, and Piers Corbyn held up a giant poster to highlight his proposals.
Prof Fisher, said: “Hustings are important events for candidates and constituents, and I was delighted to be able to chair such a key event.
“There was a strong turnout of candidates, and it was a sell-out event, which shows the high level of interest.
“A by-election has the potential to generate a great deal of interest, and with Boris Johnson being a former Prime Minister, the interest is intensified even more.
“The constituency has been held by the Conservatives since 1970, and it will be fascinating to see what happens on Thursday.
“There will be a great deal of national interest in the result.”