Comment: Sparks start to fly at West Midlands Mayor debate

They are a cordial bunch, these candidates for West Midlands Mayor.

Ask them about housing, employment and skills, and you'll get plenty of agreement as to what is needed in order to get the region on the front foot, writes Peter Madeley.

In one sense it makes for a pleasant change after the vitriol that dogged the EU referendum campaigns and subsequent Tory and Labour leadership contests.

But seeing candidates from the Green Party and UKIP in a state of blissful harmony over the future of the M6 Toll just doesn't sit right.

FULL STORY: What is the point of the West Midlands Mayor?
MORE: Audience divided on vote after Black Country debate
MORE: First West Midlands Mayor debate - as it happened

The audience arriving at the Workers' Institute at the Black Country Living Museum

At times you can easily envisage the quintet putting their arms around each other and breaking out into The Beach Boys 'Good Vibrations'.

Up to now, it has all been a little too nice.

But there were signs during this week's bostin' debate at the Black Country Living Museum that a few sparks might start to fly as the race enters its final eight weeks.

Express & Star Editor Keith Harrison, left, moderated the debate

Self-professed West Midlands patriot Siôn Simon has been dubbed 'the invisible man' and 'the submarine' for not turning up to most of the debates in the lead up to the election.

And the Labour MEP got more than a tad tetchy when the subject was broached, complaining that the question was not 'in the spirit' of the event.

God forbid a political hustings where candidates are forced to answer tricky questions. Simon's response that he would rather spend time meeting with businesses to save jobs did raise a few cheers from the audience, however.

Siôn Simon responds to a question from Beverley Nielsen about his absence at previous hustings

It was the first of several fiery exchanges. Tory Andy Street clashed with Simon over the M6 Toll and UKIP's Pete Durnell and the Green Party's James Burn locked horns over social housing policy.

Durnell followed up by having a poke at Simon's already well-worn 'taking back control' mantra, pointing out that Labour has had 'huge control' in the West Midlands but has failed to make good use of it.

When campaigns for high office become little more than back-slapping exercises, people tend to get bored very quickly.

It may well be that as the race for mayor really hots up, the gloves have finally come off.