IMPASSIONED debates greeted eager students at the first General Election hustings event at the Ambleside university campus.

Candidates from Ukip, Labour, the Conservatives, the Green Party and the Liberal Democrats fended-off questions from young voters as they vie for supremacy on polling day.

In their opening speeches, Tory Ann Myatt said: "This is my time", the Green's Chris Loynes focussed on inequality in society and environmental issues and Ukip's Jonathan Stanley vowed to improve the healthcare system.

Labour's John Bateson believed his experience in the public and private sectors gave him an advantage while the Lib Dem's Tim Farron said he was 'blessed' to have held his seat for a decade.

Talk turned to the issue of the 'brain drain' as Cumbria University's Ambleside Campus attracts intelligent young people who all too often leave the area shortly after getting a degree.

Chris Loynes said that the Ambleside campus is one of the biggest and best centres for outdoor studies anywhere in England, in an area where outdoor activities is the fourth largest employer.

Mr Loynes said Ambleside produces students who's future jobs could be both local and global but stated: "It's vital to know what the needs are and how to supply the local area and at this campus we're doing that."

In order to retain young people, Tim Farron said that he had improved apprenticeships across South Lakeland, was winning 'the battle to build affordable homes' and was working to bring superfast broadband to the area.

Student Nick Wall lambasted the lack of individual party identity and asked the candidates if they thought 'grey, vanilla politics' where 'every party says the same thing' was wrong.

All the party candidates agreed that it was not.

Ukip's Jonathan Stanley accused Tim Farron of being a 'hypocrite' after criticising the volume of second home ownership in the area, claiming to have him on tape saying differently - an accusation Farron denied.

In turn, John Bateson then accused Ukip of exploiting fears about 'strangers' or 'foreigners' to gain votes.

The Question Time-style debate, which took place on Thursday, March 12, concluded by all the candidates urging the audience to vote, with Tory Ann Myers saying: "I urge all people to vote - get down to the ballot box."