THE election for Hayley Green and Cradley South has taken a dramatic twist with the Labour candidate calling out his opponents for a debate.

Ian Cooper delivered a letter to sitting Conservative councillor Hazel Turner and is hoping she and the other candidates from the Green, UKIP and BNP accept his invitation to debate issues affecting local people.

Mr Cooper said: “I believe that a local councillor should be prepared to stand up and be counted and therefore invite Councillor Turner to debate the issues that face us in this ward and in Halesowen as a whole.”

“I propose an old style election hustings where the all candidates get to debate the issues close to people’s hearts, such as Dudley Council’s neglect of our basic services, top earner’s tax cuts and the granny tax on pensioners.”

He added: “I have hand delivered a letter to Cllr Turner and am awaiting her response, I also hope all the other candidates all also will attend the hustings.

Cllr Hazel Turner was unimpressed by the invitation to debate.

She said: “It would have been better if Mr Cooper had knocked the door and spoke to me about this debate.

“There is no date or venue for this debate and I am not sure I am going to do it, I will have to think about it before accepting, I do not normally do this type of thing.”

Mr Cooper claims the letter instructed Cllr Turner to contact his agent and though not putting a date in the letter he has provisionally booked Lutley Primary School at 7pm on Wednesday, April 25.

Bob Heeley from the UK Independence Party, Colin Royle from the Green Party and Robert Weale from the BNP will also be invited to take part.