From high childcare costs to health service waiting lists, the people of North Belfast shared the issues important to them in the lead up to the election
As the UK General Election fast approaches with voters heading to the polls on July 4, we are visiting each constituency in Northern Ireland to hear the issues which matter most to the public in the countdown to election day.
Belfast North is a constituency with a nationalist majority. Historically, it had a narrow unionist majority, which has decreased over time. Those from a Catholic background now slightly outnumber those from a Protestant background , according to the 2011 census. One man said: "The big issues for me are health and education. I think people need to take more responsibility for themselves, the reason National Health is under so much strain is because we don't look after ourselves.
"Waiting lists in the NHS are through the roof, it's an absolute disgrace. I've got a mother who's waiting on a double knee replacement and she's looking between five and seven years - I think that would be a main priority to get that sorted." Another added: "Conservatives sold us down the river, they sold everybody down the river on Brexit, they showed themselves to be I would say a bunch of charlatans. I think in this day and age there's not much difference between any of them, which is quite frustrating.
"I don't know the man but I think he gets a bad rap from the press, they talk about him being a bit boring," one man said. "You couldn't say that about Boris Johnson - but which would you rather have, a lying misogynist, or someone who seems to have integrity, and is maybe a bit less charismatic? I would go for the safe hands."
Politics UK General Election North Belfast Belfast North (Constituency) Boris Johnson Conservative Party NHS
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