PARTY politics was played out in front of a group of pensioners in Finchley yesterday.

Leading political figures from the borough gathered at a pre-election hustings hosted by the Barnet 55+ Forum.

An audience of more than 50 people, most of who were over 65, quizzed the panel of politicians on issues concerning the age group.

Hendon Labour MP Andrew Dismore, Barnet Liberal Democrat group leader Jack Cohen, Tory Councillor Sachin Rajput, cabinet member for adult services, and Green Party parliamentary candidate for Hendon Andrew Newby, faced the grilling at St Mary's Church Hall, in Hendon Lane.

Issues on the provision of care for the elderly, NHS funding and pensions were raised on the agenda, and each candidate had five minutes to discuss their party's position before questioning was opened up to the floor.

The meeting was chaired by Peter Cragg, deputy chair of the forum, who said he was pleased with the responses from the invited guests.

He said: “I felt the audience got some fair answers from them.

“We went through the issues that people had raised to the forum and decided on the four subjects we would question them on. They all seemed very important to the elderly.

“It was important to share the views and communicate what is happening.”

However, given the demographic of the electorate present, the debate often strayed off agenda on to Barnet Council's stance on cutting sheltered wardens.

Cllr Rajput was repeatedly called to defend the councils plans to make savings by pulling the wardens, claiming “budget restraints” meant providing the service to just three per cent of those requiring care was not the best use of finances, and “efficiency savings” had to be made.

Mr Dismore said it was a “false economy” and cutting the dedicated service would put further pressures on health provisions, while Cllr Cohen and Mr Newby said they would fight any future moves to make the cuts.

After the meeting, Mr Cragg said the forum was hoping to expand to become a mouthpiece for the community on similar issues of concern.

He said they were looking to recruit 3,500 members create an “older people's assembly”, and added: “We want them to be a body and a voice in the borough.

“If we get the consultation right then some of the problems we had raised today wouldn't be there.

“Perhaps with better communications we can address some of the doubts and problems people have got and restore confidence, which hopefully comes out of meetings like this.”