SIX candidates competing for votes in next week’s Assembly election spoke about cuts to the public sector and the need for jobs at a hustings in Pontypool this week.

Organised by Torfaen Against the Cuts and chaired by David Brown, the hustings at Pontypool Civic Centre on Wednesday night focused on the state of the current UK economy but also looked at green issues, unemployment and education standards.

The candidates, which included Will Griffiths for the Liberal Democrats, Anthony Hunt for Labour, Jeff Rees for Plaid Cymru, Chris Were for the Green Party, Tommy Roberts for the Communist Party and John Harrold on behalf of the Reverend David Owen for the Welsh Christian Party, were quizzed by around 20 members of the public.

No Conservative, Independent or UKIP candidates took part.

The candidates were asked about cuts to the police service and their thoughts on the idea of police commissioners.

Mr Griffiths, Mr Hunt and Mr Rees said they were opposed to the idea of police commissioners.

Mr Griffiths said he did not believe they were a good use of money, Mr Hunt said spending money on them rather than frontline policing was a “ludicrous idea” and Mr Rees said policing responsibilities should be devolved to the Assembly.

Mr Harrold said he would like to see someone at the top who has been through the ranks and who knows what policing is about in the community.

The candidates were also asked what sort of jobs they would try to create in Wales and Torfaen and about the cuts to the public sector.

Mr Were said a lot of jobs could be kept locally instead of going abroad.

While Mr Roberts said the cuts to the public sector would also affect small businesses because the public sector is made up of people spending money in the places where they live.