STUDENTS have had the first chance to see their sitting MP in debate with the man determined to make him unemployed at the next election.

Winchester's MP Mark Oaten was joined in an open-floor debate at the city's King Alfred's College by the Conservative Party candidate for his seat, Andrew Hayes.

It is the first time the two have sparred in public since Mr Hayes' selection last autumn.

Subjects under discussion included student poverty, future funding of education, the expense of studying in Winchester and the controversial Section 28, which prohibits learning in schools about homosexuals.

Also on the panel were Southampton Test Labour MP Alan Whitehead, the college's acting principal Chris Turner and student union president Neil Yates.

During the first event of its kind at the college since the 1997 general election, Mark Oaten MP attacked those individuals he accused of trying to use Section 28 as a popular vote-winner.

He said: "A lot of people need to wake up, as our children are discussing these serious issues as they are watching it on the TV.

"It strikes me as absolute nonsense that they are not able to discuss or raise the issue when they are in the classroom."

Andrew Hayes told the audience: "I believe that there is nothing in Section 28 which prevents us from teaching about homosexuality.

"There is no homophobia in the Conser-vative Party, it is an image we have and one I want to change.

"Section 28 is supported by a large number of people who feel strongly that it is wrong to promote homosexual lifestyles to very young people in schools."

Neil Yates said of the debate: "It is the first one we have had since the last election but hopefully we will have more in the future.

"I am very pleased at the way it went as it was a great debate."