University staff and Students will get the chance to grill parliamentary candidates on their parties' policies for higher education.

A hustings meeting has been arranged for trade union members to question the MPs for Oxford West and Abingdon and Oxford East, Dr Evan Harris, the Liberal Democrat spokesman for higher education, and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Andrew Smith. Other guests will include Ed Matts and Gill Kirk, prospective parliamentary candidates for Conservative and Labour in Oxford West and Abingdon, and John Lister, who is contesting the Oxford East seat for the Socialist Alliance.

Members of the Association of University Teachers, Unison, the Management, Science and Finance Union and the Students' Union have been invited to attend the event at Rewley House, in St John Street, Oxford, on May 24 from 5-7pm.

Everard Robinson, who is organising the hustings, said: "We want this to be a bit like Any Questions, with members of the audience asking the panel questions about the future of higher education in the UK."