Election candidates are hitting the streets ahead of the May 5 poll, knocking on doors, meeting constituents. But what exactly is being raised and what are the issues Northern Ireland voters want to see resolved – or, at least, improved? We asked a candidate in each of our constituencies to find out what gets the voters talking…
“Cost of living is very common across the board, people frustrated with the hospital waiting lists and the need to tackle those. Those are the two big areas. The lack of social housing is also coming up but that depends on the areas where you speak to people.
“The one main theme that always comes up is that people want us to get back in Stormont and start delivering. There is huge frustration and disillusionment as we are having conversations. There may be streets we canvass where we have localised issues such as the road surfaces being poor and anti-social behaviour. Protocol — maybe one in 100 doors.”
Mal O’Hara – Green Party – North Belfast
“We have spoken to countless people all across North Belfast. Despite what some may try to tell you, neither the protocol nor a border poll are the issues on the door.
“A tiny number of people have raised those issues and usually it is in passing or after a list of other priority issues. Almost everyone we speak to talks about the cost of living crisis, the healthcare crisis, housing and education.”
Matthew O’Toole – SDLP – South Belfast
“South Belfast is such a diverse constituency in terms of age, income and class of constituents. Everyone has had experience with the poor state of the health service at some stage or another and most household budgets are under extreme pressure, from working families especially who are struggling to make ends meet.
“There has been much frustration with the failure from politicians to deliver a functioning government in Stormont and there is also a particular level of anger towards the DUP. One topic which has not been raised by constituents has been the protocol.”
Gerry Carroll – People Before Profit – West Belfast
“We have been knocking on doors for the last few months and the overwhelming message and issue being raised is the rapid rise in food and fuel prices that people are struggling to pay for.
“There is fury at the Stormont establishment for refusing to implement the measures required to provide some level of protection for people to weather this crisis.
“People are also raising the fact that workers — especially frontline workers — are being offered shoddy pay deals, despite working the whole way through the pandemic.”
Gemma Brolly – Aontú - East Londonderry
“First and foremost is the cost of living. I would be surprised if that’s not the winner that’s coming out from everybody — the price of oil and fuel is mainly what’s mentioned first.
“Then obviously the price of food. We have had a few very directly asking our stance on life and abortion.
“Because I come from an education background (and am a school teacher), there’s also a serious amount of people there with children going nowhere on a waiting list with special needs, so education is definitely up there as well as healthcare.”
Shaun Harkin – People Before Profit - Foyle
“The main issue is despair at costs and runaway inequality. Overwhelming numbers of families and people are struggling. Anger at the lack of hardship support is an understatement.
“There’s real anger at main parties voting against emergency hardship funds, rent cuts, stronger workers’ rights and pay rises for essential workers.
“Next is the health service with frustration at waiting lists, access to GP services and treatment of staff.
“Healthcare profiteering is at an all time high. Agency bosses, care home bosses, private hospitals and domiciliary care bosses are making a fortune while workers are hit with pay cuts and using foodbanks. Third is the housing crisis. ‘What are you going to do about this?’ is what people want to know.”
Kellie Turtle - Green Party - Fermanagh and South Tyrone
“In rural areas the Executive parties have presided over a widening gap in funding for community services and healthcare, unequal investment in jobs, and a public transport network that is not fit for purpose.
“It is time to properly implement the duties in the Rural Needs Act so that policy decisions are genuinely directed towards meeting the needs of rural communities, not just cutting costs. People are concerned about the cost of living crisis.
“I have been approached by constituents who want MLAs to protect our incredible natural environment, to improve the quality of our waterways, to promote nature-friendly farming practices that increase biodiversity and to stand against fracking and other petroleum extraction.”
Tom Buchanan - DUP - West Tyrone
“Rising bills are hitting every household and that includes in West Tyrone. I have been speaking to working families right across the constituency who are struggling to cope, particularly with issues like childcare and energy costs.
“Fixing the NHS is also a huge priority for everyone. GPs are at the frontline of the health service, and people want to have better access to their family doctor with more GPs trained and action taken to cut waiting lists in our hospitals
“The unionist community want to see unionist parties working together where we have a common platform, such as in opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol.”
Lorna Smyth - TUV - Lagan Valley
“People are up in arms about the protocol, there’s no getting away from it. I would say seven out of every 10 doors we’re getting, ‘How are we getting rid of this protocol? It’s affecting us, it’s not just businesses, it’s personal stuff as well’. It’s being diminished by other parties and it shouldn’t be.
“Other issues are the health service and daily cost of living crisis. There’s palpable anger there, because they’re hearing other parties saying they’re going to fix services, but they’re angry at the parties that have been in power for the last 10 to 15 years and they’re saying, ‘why didn’t they do it beforehand?’”
Hugh Scullion - Workers’ Party - Mid Ulster
“Very few people are mentioning the Northern Ireland Protocol or a border poll at the doors. People are more concerned about the health service being destroyed bit by bit.
“They want our health service reformed and I’m hearing more and more people saying they’ve had to access food banks. They want the cost of living crisis tackled. A lot of candidates are saying what they will do when they are elected, but I’m hearing a lot of people asking, ‘Well, what have you done for us in your last term at Stormont? Why have you not been able to help stop things getting this bad?’”
Justin McNulty - SDLP - Newry and Armagh
“The number one issue that I am hearing about on the doors is the rising cost of food, fuel, and energy bills.
“Time and again, people are opening their doors to me in their winter coats and they are angry at the failure of the problem parties to help people as they struggle to heat their homes, put food on the table, and petrol in their cars.
“Another issue which is consistently raised on the doors is the crisis within our health service. People are angry at the latest loss of services at Daisy Hill Hospital, and deeply worried at the huge waiting lists being faced by people who are waiting for everything from cancer treatment to routine procedures.”
Philip McGuigan - SF - North Antrim
“This election is an opportunity for real change. On the doors, workers and families are consistently raising the spiralling cost of living crisis and are frustrated by some parties’ refusal to commit to working with others. Farmers are struggling too with the prices of fuel, feed and fertilizer on the rise.
‘’We will be ready, as soon as the election is over, to get down to work with others to get hundreds of millions of pounds out the door and into the pockets of ordinary workers and families.”
Oliver McMullan - SF – East Antrim
“The election in May is a once in a generation election. People want parties to work together to deliver on the things that matter most. Health is the number one issue I am coming across on the doors and people are keen to hear Sinn Fein’s plan to invest an additional £1 billion over the next three years.
‘’That investment would recruit more nurses and doctors, tackle waiting lists and fund vital mental health and cancer services. We also want to ensure people can actually see a GP when they need to, that is a massive issue for voters in this constituency.”
Lesley Veronica - Green Party - South Antrim
“On the doors, people are concerned about the cost of living crisis which is having an immediate impact on everyone’s household budgets. Our dependency on fossil fuels and the profiteering of big corporations is driving this crisis.
“People agree with us that it’s time for a Green New Deal for Northern Ireland, increasing investment in renewables to create well-paid green jobs and drive down energy prices. Voters are fed up with the deadlock and division of the traditional parties and they agree with us that it’s time to elect representatives who will deliver for people and our planet.”
Alex Easton – Independent - North Down
“Most people are just polite and take a leaflet and move on but the ones that do speak as we go around, the cost of living is definitely an issue and another one that comes up is the parties not dealing with each other and delivering at Stormont, that’s an issue and then a little bit of the protocol comes up as we chat.
“Those are the three, I haven’t actually heard any others. As I speak to people, the sense I get is people want a change they are fed up with the same old politics.”
Jill Macauley - UUP - South Down
“This election is a crucial moment for Northern Ireland and I am finding that a lot of my constituents are fed up with the politics of fear and constant squabbling of the DUP and Sinn Fein.
“The main issues being raised with me on the doorsteps is the cost of living for families, real need for major investment in our health service, the lengthening waiting lists and the need for Stormont to be functioning properly again. I’m being told we need more growth, more jobs and more prosperity, not uncertainty and instability and an end to divisive politics.”
Kellie Armstrong - Alliance – Strangford
“I was expecting health and education and they certainly do come up, but one of the questions I’ve been getting quite a lot is if you are actually going to be going back into government. A lot of people have been looking for that clarification. They are just concerned if they are voting for more breakup and fall down of the government.
“The other key issues of course are health. They also bring up the cost-of-living crisis. Housing has come up for me, because of the lack of social housing in the area. A lot of the mums I speak to particularly are very concerned about the health waiting lists.”
Eoin Tennyson - Alliance - Upper Bann
“It’s all about health and the cost of living. We have Craigavon Area Hospital here so there are a lot of health service workers and they all tell you about the pressures they’re facing every day.
“Every other door there’s someone on a waiting list, or someone with a family member who has been waiting for years.
“And there’s the frustration at the cost of living. There’s anger that the Executive wasn’t able to put any measures in place to help people who are struggling.”
Reporting by Mark Bain, Christopher Leebody, Niamh Campbell, Amy Cochrane, Andrew Madden and Garrett Hargan
