THE candidates hoping to represent Enfield and Haringey in the Greater London Authority went head to head at a hustings.

Incumbent Labour member Joanne McCartney, who has held the post since 2004, faced Conservative Linda Kelly, Liberal Democrat Nick DaCosta, Green member Ronald Stewart and UKIP’s Neville Watson at the Selby Centre, Tottenham.

They clashed on issues such as transport, air pollution and security.

The candidates were also asked for their views on Brexit – The Labour, Green and Liberal Democrat hopefuls say they will vote remain, while the Conservative candidate wants to leave.

Ms McCartney campaigned for more wheelchair access on the London Underground and pledged to tackle the air pollution problem.

She said: “Most recently I have been working on the lack of staffing at tube stations, and about tubes not being open as much as they should be. On the Transport Committee, I regularly raised questions about public transport.

“We should look to moving towards an electric bus service, all new single decker buses should be electric. We also think all new taxis have to adhere to latest environmental regulations.”

One of the mostly hotly debated topics was Cycle Enfield, the £30million scheme which will see four bike routes built through some of the borough’s busiest commercial areas.

It proved a divisive issue, with Mr Watson and Ms Kelly criticising the consultation and routes as “ill-conceived”.

But Mr Stewart staunchly defended the plans.

He said: “David Burrowes had his own postal letter referendum, but I believe it is flawed, petty, personality politics. People have a right to cycle safely on their daily journey.”

Ms Kelly, who served as Labour councillor for Hackney between 2000 and 2014, before defecting to the Tories, made frequent references to mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith throughout her speeches – to the amusement of some in the audience, one of whom heckled her and asked if they were married.

On defending London against terrorism, she said: “Zac Goldsmith has guaranteed police numbers will not fall below 32,000.

“How you make communities safer is by working with communities. We want to tell them if they want to make trouble on our streets, it is not in our name.”

Former Labour member Neville Watson, who defected to UKIP and stood for MP in the 2015 election, said he hoped people would vote for him as a person instead of for a party with no government influence in the borough.

He said: “I have spent my life working in this community, and what you really want is someone who is going to hold the mayor’s feet to the fire.

“You are not voting for a party, but a person who will represent the views of the borough.

“Put your constituents before the party; you can knock UKIP, but without UKIP we would not have June 23.

“I have a party that will support me and back me in backing my constituents. Don’t back a party, back a person.”

Londoners will elect the Mayor and GLA representatives on May 5.