A long-serving MP in a Conservative stronghold has announced he would take part in a hustings in the run-up to May's election. 

UKIP candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green Freddy Vachha formally challenged his poltical opponents to a "fair and balanced" hustings and has vowed to make "mincemeat" out of his opponents. 

The debate challenge, likely to take part in Chingford in April, now has the backing of MP Iain Duncan Smith, who told the Guardian: "I look forward to hustings during the campaign, I enjoy them.

"Diary permitting I will do my best to be there."

Labour's parliamentary candidate Bilal Mahmood, the Liberal Democrats Anne Crook and The Green Party's Rebecca Tully, have all shown interest and agreed to take part.  

Mr Mahmood said: "Providing the proposed hustings are fair and meet the electoral commission rules on candidate hustings and are moderated impartially, I'd be delighted to debate the other candidates." 

Mr Vachha, a former Conservative supporter of many years, hopes the debate will address the "parody that is presented of his party in most of the national press" but also allow the public to ask the three main parties pressing questions about their current and previous roles in government. 

He said: "Hustings reveal the truth about candidates.

"If they have confidence in their parties’ policies then they should be happy to accept the challenge and explain them. 

"I'm calling for this as the public must not be fooled by the mainstream media who have a vested interest in painting UKIP as things we are not, but also because all three main parties have substantial questions to answer about the horrible mess our country is in.  

"I've heard members of the Conservative party have been instructed not to talk to me, probably as they are running scared and because our policies make more sense than theirs. 

"I will make mincemeat out of all of the candidates". 

Details of the hustings will be released in the coming days.