Derby South: Voters tell of concerns about NHS and cost of living crisis
WITH polling day just a fortnight away, we visited the city centre, in the Derby South constituency.
Throughout the election campaign, we will be meeting voters from across the region to find out what they think about pressing issues.
The NHS is regularly mentioned as the most important issue facing the country. This was closely followed by the cost-of-living crisis.
Hospitality worker, Tina, opened up about her own struggle with the NHS waiting lists. She underwent a minor operation on the NHS because she broke her hip following a fall. However, the operation went wrong.
“I had to wait a year later for the second operation. By that time, I was chronic because the first operation had caused me to become really
disabled at the time. It cut off my blood supply.”
Julie Winfield, 62, shared that many of her colleagues have to sit with a hot water bottle and a blanket as they have been priced out of having the heating on at home. “I think it’s disgusting” she remarked.
Some people blamed the crisis in the NHS on external factors, such as immigration.
Janice Russell, 76, worked for the NHS before retiring. She described the country as overcrowded.
She said: “They should be looking after their own people, and they should solve the problem with these people coming in over [on] the boat.”
Whilst some voters accepted Conservative leader Rishi Sunak’s work throughout the pandemic and the large number of issues he inherited, most people felt he has fallen short.
Perry Sadio, 65, said: “I think he’s trying his best. But after stabbing Boris in the back, they put Liz Truss in, and for all his words, he doesn’t deliver”.
The Labour Party is expected to increase its vote share in Derby South. The seat has been held by former Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett for decades – although she is stepping down at this election.
Diana, 75, a lifelong campaigner for nuclear disarmament explained her dismay at the willingness of politicians to use nuclear weapons.
She said of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer: “I’m unsure of his policy. I’d like to hope he had one, because I’ve voted Labour all my life, but I’m unsure of him too.”
Gail, an early years educator said: “He’s a great talker. He gets me reeled in when I listen to him. I think that’s great…you’re thinking about things that are important like the NHS, you’re saying that you can’t promise, and you will look at it and try to change, but that’s what they are all saying. Who do we believe?”
Across Derby city centre, the feeling of apathy from voters was overwhelming. Many we spoke to shared some sort of disillusionment with the current state of affairs. There is very little hope things will or can be improved.
Finally, we asked people whether they think voting should be made compulsory at general elections. Some argued that in order to find real consensus across the country, everyone should have to vote. However, for the most part, people felt it would not be fair to force people to.
Julie Winfield said: “We don’t want to become a communist country. I believe it should be a choice.”