The view from Blackpool on election day: ‘Fed up of politics’

we are trying to talk to people in blackp about the by election politics no do you want i’ I’d rather not have you ever voted before no do you have any advice on who to vote on it will not be toring under any circumstances it’s like the sat on top of the world down there we’re here struggling and they don’t have a clue we need something to be done on Southshore there’s nothing around here for anyone I’ve lived here all my life I’ve left twice I’ve come back twice so very friendly Place once it gets in your blood you can’t get rid of it and you don’t want to talk about politics not politics F religion or money can we ask you about something else about your outfit this is my American dress yeah one yanking it off take care you L lovely [Music] thanks I’m disillusioned with the major parties to be honest it’s much of a muchness and it’s time to give some fresh people with fresh ideas and and and fresh iives an opportunity one of my previous hats was that I was a sh start children center manager I’m still very very angry because it was always destined to be a 10 or a 15E payoff for the investment so they defunded children’s centers and were now paying the price pure and simple Petty Point scoring you won’t try to work it out all you pass pass do you think that would been badly affected by the cost of liing Crisis yes I’d say it has seem to see more people begging and looking rather down and out now the prominade isn’t bad but someone the streets just behind there they’re ter D the leveling up needs to be distributed all across Blackpool not just in the Town Center Blackpool is a town that has the deprivation but the one thing they don’t tell you about is it has a massive heart I don’t know of any regeneration that’s gone on down here everything we’ve done here we’ve done ourselves but the reality of it is we can’t afford to do any more than we’re doing now we are a community Cafe we’re not just a cafe we’re a community Hub we support all our community regardless with things around mental health things around friendship you arrive as a customer you leave as a friend that is us I’ve already done the drinks darling gone through it has I don’t know what to do with that actually it’s home from home do you mind if I ask you who you vote for I’m voting well I met him met chrisb and I like him very much if it goes like he seems he will it’ll be great but never really happens so I’m black born in bread I deeply care about my hometown we’ve seen a 30% increase in child poverty in this constituency in the last year alone over 11,000 kids are now in poverty they’re going to school hungry 1.8 billion pounds of cuts have happened to Blackpool Council since this government’s coming to play good to see you how are you doing okay yeah I would love labor to articulate something that gets me excited and at the minute I hear you I’m not seeing you okay well we’ve got a challenge and hopefully we can meet it not one person on the doorstep has told me they’ve heard from any other candidate on the doors not one God’s on his truth we seem to be the only one speaking to voters out and about we’re engaging my butcher released a rap video about me last night from Amazing Grace a rap video polies we need somebody here that’s raised born and bread gets the homeless off the streets and kept them warm and fed if you Ain thinking them up what to the maybe your Mis you might prefer Chris corin’s leg it was a bit of fun he’s a local talent as far as I was concerned he got young people involved everybody was excited and what inspired you to run absolute frustration seeing the 12 years of Decline and Decay I’ve seen people really on the way down and not a single penny spent up in Blackpool South I’d lay the blame solely on the labor Council cuz they’ve got the money they’ve just not got the [Music] will no saying you you’re all corrupt corrupt you’re all corrupt there’s great apathy on the doors people are fed up of it they’re fed up to the back SE of politics so if you’re elected you standing in front of me now what is the main promise you can make that you need to be held accountable for if you’re elected everything that comes out of my mouth like what they’re fed up with false promises so it’s a breath of fresh air to them to have somebody like me who’s a local guy who’s not a politician who’s actually for of them I really am going to be accountable the people will keep me accountable let me tell you that the people of Blackpool are not going to stand for any more nonsense yeah but if you don’t tell me anything you’re not lying here [Music]

Ahead of the byelection in Blackpool South, the Guardian takes the temperature in the once prosperous northern coastal town, with many voters expressing complete apathy and disdain for the state of politics.

The area is going to the polls because former Tory MP Scott Benton resigned after being found guilty of breaching standards rules in a lobbying scandal. Labour is hopeful of taking back the seat, which Benton won with a majority of 3,690 in 2019.

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#Blackpool #UK #Elections #LocalElections #News

22 comments

  5. Labour candidate Chris Webb's claim there that he's "seems to be" the only candidate talking to people on the doorstep is simply not true – and he knows it. There's plenty of footage showing Mark Butcher of Reform for example doing just that. Embarrassing.

  6. People who don't vote or just moan are absolutely useless! People fought and died for their rights and they can't be bothered. The guy on sure start knows his stuff ✌️

  7. Working class Northers don't get any sympathy for me. They've been told for 100 years that doing so and they wonder why they get the same result every time.

  19. "They don't often tell you that it has a big heart." Love Blackpool as a place. Hope that whoever gets the victory also has a big heart. Great little film. Well done to all involved.

  20. Why can only drivers (Welsh ID btw) and holiday makers be allowed to vote? Putin wouldn't rig the election so much. And they still lost out. Even Boris forgot his Photo ID. Ha ha. You can't make it up can you? Facts Baby. Facts.

  21. i live in poulton, in the greater blackpool zone the modern name for it, and i have worked aroudn blackpool all my life and i have watched it decline, i have watched how in the ninties the councillers where openly coorrupt and into selling frugs, b they kept the drug gangs out, now most ofthose are long dead now, and its gone down and down and down

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