OLDER voters are being encouraged to have their say in the General Election and take advantage of the “grey vote”.

With the over-55 electorate being identified as key to winning the election, they are set to become a pivotal part of the campaigns.

Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat candidates will be at Redcar Station Business Centre to hear the concerns of older people from Redcar and Cleveland.

Jim Wingham, chairman of Redcar and Cleveland Older People’s Partnership, said: “It will be quite refreshing to see how the candidates handle questions from the floor. There will be some pre-prepared questions, but the majority will be from the audience.”

Though there are more than 300 members in the group, numbers will be limited to 50 by the size of the venue.

Mr Wingham said: “It will be first come first served. I attended a similar event in Sunderland and that proved to be very interesting, so I really look forward to seeing what questions the members raise.”

The idea follows Age UK urging older people to use their vote to pressure candidates into acting on issues such as care, age discrimination, the NHS and pensions.

He said: “Within a few years, we are going to be the biggest block of people demographically, almost 50 per cent in our area.”

The event, on Thursday at 2pm, will include Vera Baird, Labour; Steven Mastin, Conservative; and Ian Swales, Liberal Democrat.

Residents of any age will be able to hear the main candidates in the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency speak at Emmanuel Church, off Windsor Road, Saltburn, on Wednesday, 7.30pm. People can put questions to Tom Blenkinsop, Labour, Paul Bristow, Conservative, and Nick Emmerson, Liberal Democrat.