General election: What do Hillsborough and Brightside voters want?
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As polling day fast approaches, who are voters hoping will take on these challenges?
“I don’t know to be honest because who do you vote for?” Christina Hill, who works at Sue Ryder on Bradfield Road, said. “There used to be a very definite difference between the parties, now it feels as if they’re all much alike and that sometimes it’s just about their agenda rather than the public’s.
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Hide Ad“When I was growing up if you were ill or when you retired you got taken care of by the state. But now the benefits and things people get is absolutely atrocious, we don’t look after each other.
“I went into Tesco the other week and the woman on the till could hardly hear me, she must have been about 80 and I think to myself, you’ve worked probably since you were about 13 years old and you’re still having to work to survive. How wrong is that?”
Historically the area has voted Labour. David Blunkett represented the area for 28 years before Harry Harpham took over in 2015 then his widow Gill Furniss succeeded him after winning a by-election in 2016.
But some said they were not sure who will win this time. Ms Hill said: “Labour was always for the working class but I don’t feel like they are anymore.”
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Hide AdJoanne Bainbridge, who lives in Hillsborough, said: “I used to vote Labour years ago but I’d vote Conservative now because I want Brexit done, it’s getting on my nerves.
“But they all say they’re going to do great and I just don’t think you can trust any of them.”
Rohid Kumar, who lives in Hillsbrough and owns Fonez World, said whoever won he wanted to see them do more to tackle crime.
“The crime rate is very high in Hillsborough. Within the last couple of months there has been almost five to six robberies in my shop – doors broken and phones stolen – and the police have not been very helpful.
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Hide Ad“If the government could give more resources to controlling crime it would help a lot, especially for a small business like mine. We can’t afford people coming in pinching phones – one phone is £500 to £700.
“As long as they support small businesses I’m happy so I think I’m going to vote Labour.”
Candidates:
Gill Furniss – Labour
Christine Gilligan Kubo – Green Party
Shane Harper – UKIP
Johnny Johnson – Brexit Party
Stephen Porter – Liberal Democrats
Hannah Westropp – Conservative Party