Anyone else think this is poor judgment on the part of candidates to accept an invitation to talk to just 15 of his leasehold occupiers about issues of the day?
“Issues affecting Devon’s older population were put firmly on the pre-election agenda at a special event in Honiton hosted by Churchill Retirement Living.
The specialist developer invited the local MP Neil Parish and representatives from each of the main political parties to meet with existing and prospective Owners at Holyshute Lodge in Honiton and address the issues important to them in a lively ‘Question Time’ style debate.
The events come on the back of a recent survey by the retirement developer, which found that three-quarters of over-60s believe they are “unseen and unheard” by the major political parties, while one in ten are so disenfranchised that they aren’t certain they’ll vote in this year’s general election.
Over 15 voters aged 60 and above attended the event to put their questions to Neil Parish MP (Conservative) and Labour candidate Caroline Kolek. Topics raised included the privatisation of the NHS, immigration and social care policy.”
East Devon Watch 
Gosh, the Express and Echo took that down quickly!
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Web page address not in full, now corrected
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Link is now http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Issues-affecting-Devon-elderly-discussed-Honiton/story-26290408-detail/story.html
Looks like our eagle-eyed Owl was too quick off the mark and the web site tweaked the URL.
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IMO it depends on three things:
1. Whether the developer paid any of the politicians to attend;
2. Whether the developer influenced or vetted the questions or asked the politicians to say something specific (and since the agenda was on a specific subject, this is definitely questionable);
3. Whether the Electoral Commission would consider this to be granting favours indirectly i.e. it was a benefit of buying or potentially buying the properties.
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The page is no longer available.
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