THE hottest day of the year so far was warmed further by the heat of political debate in Tenbury.

A crowded Pump Rooms was the location for a debate on changes to the voting system chaired by the Advertiser's Adrian Kibbler.

Harriett Baldwin, MP for West Worcestershire that includes Tenbury, found it a change from the hot house politics of Prime Minister’s Question Time.

She was speaking alongside Ken Pollock, who represents Tenbury on Worcestershire County Council. The pair were making the case for the retention of the present first-past-thepost voting system.

Pitted against them were Miles Weaver, who lives in Tenbury but lectures at De Montfort University in Leicester, and Neville Farmer, a Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Wyre Forest in the general election last year.

The arguments made for the status quo included its simplicity and higher chance of producing a clear cut result.

But the 'yes to change' team argued that the Alternative Vote was more democratic and fair because it more accurately reflected the views of the electorate.

The referendumis on Thursday May 5.