Stella Creasy will be absent for an election debate on education.

The MP for Walthamstow was invited to attend the event, hosted by the National Union for Teachers at the Quaker Meeting House in Jewel Road, Walthamstow, at 4.30pm today.

She has been replaced by her Labour colleague John Cryer, MP for Leyton and Wanstead.

The event is for union members only and will give them the chance to grill election candidates on their parties’ education policy.

Walthamstow candidates Michael Gold, for the Green Party, Freddy Vachha of UKIP and Nancy Taffe, from the Trade Unionist Socialist Coalition, will attend.

Representatives from the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives are yet to be confirmed.

The event will see each candidate given five minutes to outline their party’s policy on education.

They will then take questions from the floor.

Stella Creasy said: "I am not in London today but in Birmingham to be a keynote speaker at the centre for responsible credit conference - this was organised and advertised months ago well before the hustings date was sent to us.

"It reflects my work on legal loan sharks as well as role as shadow spokesperson for consumers for labour."