5000 Voices: We went to West Belfast to hear the biggest issues for voters ahead of the election

As the countdown to the UK General Election on July 4 continues, we are visiting each constituency across Northern Ireland to hear the issues which matter most to our readers in the countdown to the vote.

The next stop on our tour, which is part of the UK-wide 5000 Voices project was the Belfast West constituency where Sinn Féin's Paul Maskey is hoping to retain the seat that his party has held since 1997.

Starting out in the Kennedy Centre, we spoke to shoppers about the issues that matter to them before visiting the Falls Road and Springfield Road.

Read more: 5000 Voices: We went to Lagan Valley to hear your biggest issues ahead of the election

Read more: Sinn Fein's history and policies explained

As expected, the health service was a major issue for most people that we spoke to along with immigration and building Casement Park.

When asked the biggest issue for them going into the election, one person we spoke to said: "one of the biggest issues is the health care. After working 32 years in the health service I had to pay over £15,000 for a knee replacement which I had thought, after working all those years, I should have been entitled to. I was told that it would take five to six years and I don't really think that is fair."

For another voter, Casement Park and the economic development of the constituency that would follow was another issue.

"Building Casement Park. It would bring a lot of business and maybe hotels to West Belfast."

Another person we spoke to said that he wants politicians to keep their promises.

"If they could all tell the truth and get on with it instead of telling lies and false promises. Everybody in the community is sick of false promises," he said.

"They need to look after their own people before they look after other things."

One woman echoed this sentiment: "I just feel that no matter what you ask them to do, they are all going to do it in the election and then it is forgotten about.

"I think they should reduce the amount of people coming in. They are taking over the schools and I just think they are taking over the place," she claimed.

Another person we spoke to added: "I haven't voted and I don't see the point. I wouldn't have too much confidence in a lot of politicians here."

When it came to their thoughts on Rishi Sunak, no one we spoke to had a positive opinion of him.

"I don't know much about him. I just don't pay any attention to that man, just that he is loaded," a woman said.

"He is a waste of space. He is a complete waste of space and if he wants to condone genocide then let him go ahead but nobody likes him," a man added.

On Keir Starmer, thoughts were more mixed with one woman adding that he was "one of the best," while another person we spoke to said: "they're [Labour] useless too."

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