SIR John Redwood has hit back at suggestions he is “running scared” of hustings event organised for Wokingham’s general election candidates.

Wokingham Baptist Church is set to hold a hustings event from 7.30 pm on Friday, December 6.

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Only the Liberal Democrats’ Phillip Lee and Labour’s Annette Medhurst will attend the Q&A event.

Advance Together’s Annabel Mullin and the Green Party’s Kizzi Johannesen have not yet confirmed their participation.

Mr Redwood, representing the Conservative Party, will not take part in the hustings either.

He told the News: “I’ve always said I welcome hustings, I’m a democrat, I believe in open debate, I like debate.

“But I don’t think I can just have a debate with half the candidates. It’s all the candidates or nothing.

“I don’t understand why the other two candidates don’t want to come to the debate, I’ve told them if they want a different date they can have a different date.”

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Residents have called out the candidate on social media, with one suggesting he was “running scared” and another claiming he was “frightened”.

When asked by the News if he was afraid of scrutiny, he said: “They (online commenters) don’t know John Redwood.

“I’m saying I’m very happy to take on four of them.

“I think it’s important to people still undecided, and that’s the main purpose of such a meeting, to see the whole range.

“They need to see how the different candidates relate to each other and how the different offerings relate to each other.

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“How for example could we have a proper debate, about the very important issue of how we green Wokingham without the Green Party there? It’s just bizarre.”

Despite saying he will not take part in the hustings, Mr Redwood added he would be open to a debate if all five candidates confirmed their attendance.

He said: “I would be very flexible even if this at this late stage they wanted to have a debate at a sensible place and time between now and the election.

“As long as people tell me in good time I will be there. I wanted this meeting and I’ve always said I welcome a meeting of all five candidates.”

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A spokesperson for the Organising Committee at Churches Together in Wokingham said they were “really disappointed” Sir John Redwood would not be attending.

They added: “All five candidates have been invited and we have worked really hard to get all of them to come.

“Ultimately, we can only invite and not compel and so we will still hold the hustings event with the candidates who have chosen to attend.

“We look forward to welcoming Wokingham constituents who want to question their candidates.”