MORE than 100 tickets have already been booked for Monday night’s Argus debate between candidates standing for the East Brighton council seat.

The event, which promises to be the city’s only public political debate of the year, is set to have elected councillors in the audience after a weekly meeting of the Conservative group, which would have clashed, was rescheduled.

Meanwhile the Labour candidate, frontrunner Nancy Platts, has continued to refuse The Argus’s invitations to attend, saying she is busy meeting voters on the doorstep and does not want to be asked again about whether she would be involved.

The BBC and Latest TV will also be in the room, and the event will be live-streamed on The Argus Facebook page.

But only those in the audience will have a chance to ask questions of the three candidates, via debate chairman and Sussex University journalism professor Ivor Gaber.

The debate starts at 7pm on Monday in the Premier Room of Brighton Racecourse in Freshfield Road, Brighton.

Green candidate Ed Baker said: “I think it’ll be great for people to see all of us in the same room debating the issues, I think that’s really healthy.

“I think it’s a great shame Nancy Platts won’t be attending. It would have been great to hear her talk through her ideas and policies and debate them in person.”

George Taylor for the Liberal Democrats said he had been preparing for the debate and trying to anticipate “bogey” questions.

He said: “I’m going out there to win this hustings and to win this election.

“I think it’s absolutely pathetic that Nancy can’t be bothered to turn up and speak in front of constituents.”

Tory candidate Ed Wilson said: “It’s going to be interesting.

“Who would have thought, someone in the press wanting to get a candidate to a debate? I find Labour’s reaction quite baffling, I think the electorate is being let down.”

The Argus did not contact Ms Platts for comment.

Attendance is free but please register at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/east-brighton-council-by-election-debate-hosted-by-the-argus-tickets-42366249593.

Tea, coffee, beer and wine will all be available from the hospitality suite cafe. Doors will be open from 6.30pm.