THOSE TURNING up to The Courier’s by-election hustings in Glenrothes hoping for a heated debate were not disappointed.

Around 180 of the town’s constituents, party members and local activists were at the event in Rothes Halls to grill the eight candidates on issues ranging from taxation and home care charges to the future of local post offices and the global economy.

Candidates were first quizzed about their taxation policies.

Harry Wills, for the Lib Dems, said 70% of people would be better off if a local income tax was introduced.

“Some, such as pensioners, will pay nothing at all,” he said. “Labour have kept the council tax going too long.”

But Jim Parker, from the Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party, said a local income tax would be a “bureaucratic shambles.”

Morag Balfour, the Scottish Socialist Party candidate, said the majority of Glenrothes residents would be better off under a service tax.

“The current council tax system is unfair,” she said.

“Under the SSP, people earning less than £11,000 would pay nothing and those earning a lot of money would pay a lot more tax.”

Peter Grant, who is standing for the Scottish National Party, said many in the constituency were struggling to pay council tax bills.

He said, “It is totally unfair. Council tax has to be abolished. I’ve no doubt the Scottish Government will get someone to support that.”

Labour candidate Lindsay Roy echoed Mr Parker when he said a local income tax would be a “bureaucratic nightmare.”

Next on the agenda was post offices. Woodside sub-postmistress Rosie Barrie brought up the issue of the Card Account contract, which Labour has yet to announce.

Conservative candidate Maurice Golden said it would be an “absolute scandal” if more local post office branches were lost.

Mr Roy caused a few raised eyebrows when he said, “There is a robust bid in from the Post Office and in my view it is likely the Post Office will win the contract. People have the right to have benefits and pensions paid there.

“I would take a robust stance and try to make sure that we have post offices in our constituencies.”

However, Mr Grant criticised Labour.

He was applauded for saying, “The fundamental problem is we have a government which thinks the Post Office can operate in a free market economy. That’s why (the leader of the Labour group in) Fife Council talks about the Post Office needing a subsidy.

“It’s not a subsidy, it’s an investment in an essential public service.”

Mr Parker accused Labour of doing to post offices, “The same thing the Tories did to the health service.”

Louise McLeary, the candidate for Tommy Sheridan’s party Solidarity, also criticised Labour.

“How can they explain the fact the poverty gap has got wider,” she said.

On the economy, Mr Roy said, “We’ve had 10 years of the most prosperous time we’ve had in Britain. The global economic crisis was not Britain’s creation.”

At this point, Mr Golden emphasised the Conservatives’ commitment to green issues, stating, “We need to make this constituency of Glenrothes the green capital of Europe. Let’s use that to get investment and jobs in.”

The senior citizens party candidate reiterated his call for Fife’s coal fields to be exploited.

The issue of Scottish independence was next.

Mr Golden said Scotland could exist on its own but would be stronger as part of the UK.

But the UK Independence Party’s candidate, Kris Seunarine, said, “If people want an independent Scotland, fine, but we have to be free from the EU first.”

During Labour’s door to door campaign, there had been “no appetite” for a referendum on the matter, said Mr Roy.

What would happen to Rosyth dockyard if Scotland went solo, was one question asked.

Mr Grant said, “Jobs have been lost by the hundred in Rosyth over the last number of years, not because we are independent but because we are not independent.”

Home care charges have been a major campaigning issue and Labour were accused of “misinterpreting” the facts by Mr Wills, who defended Fife Council’s review of the charging scheme.

“After the mess left by Labour, somebody had to balance the books,” he said.

The subject turned to the nature of the candidates’ campaigns near the end of the event, at which point Ms Balfour made a shocking claim. She alleged that during Sarah Brown’s recent visit to Glenrothes, a Labour “minder” whacked her in the stomach.

The disabled candidate, who was in a wheelchair during the hustings, was on crutches at the time of the alleged incident.

“I saw Sarah Brown and wanted to say hello,” she told The Courier after the event. “I just wanted a wee blether but an arm came flying out.”

She said she could have easily fallen over and hit her head and that part of the incident had been captured on camera by a Newsnight team.

Labour’s delegation left the hustings before The Courier could speak to them for a response.