'They need to build up Daisy Hill Hospital': Voters in Newry and Armagh have their say

With just days to go until Northern Ireland goes to the polls as part of the UK General Election on 4 July, we are continuing our tour of the constituencies as part of the 5000 Voices project.

This time, it is the turn of voters in Newry and Armagh to have their say on the issues which matter most to them.

In this constituency, Sinn Féin's Mickey Brady is not seeking reelection having served as the MP for the area since 2015.

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Among the issues of concern for voters in the constituency was the state of the health services and more locally, Daisy Hill Hospital. Earlier this year, the decision was taken to end emergency general surgery at the hospital and move it to Craigavon.

One member of the public told us: "One of the big things that I would be interested in finding out is where we are going with the health service because I think it is very important and it is in a state of flux at the minute.

"People are finding it challenging to even get appointments locally with GPs and hospitals so I would like to see a strategic direction for the health service, especially here with the area we are living in just to say where we are going with Daisy Hill Hospital, what's the important thing for Daisy Hill Hospital and what even is the future for Daisy Hill Hospital because there has been a lot of uncertainty around that."

Another voter recalled how he recently had to pay to go private for a basic procedure because he couldn't get an appointment with the health service.

"I have to use private medical insurance because I can't get an appointment with my GP, I can't get seen on time at the A&E and just yesterday I had to go and pay £60 for an osteopath to fix my back because I can't get seen."

Meanwhile, another man we spoke to said that he had no problem with Daisy Hill but that it needed investment.

"I have no problem with Daisy Hill. The only thing is that they are trying to take it away from us," he said.

"You can get to it easy from Belfast and Dublin. There is a big motorway behind it and you fly by it to go to Craigavon. I can't see any sense in that."

Another issue which came up was the possibility of reopening Newry Canal with a voter saying: "one project I would like to see is the reopening of the Newry Canal between Carlingford Lough all the way up to Portadown. It is the first inland waterway in the British Isles. It is a really historic waterway and at the minute, from Newry right through to Portadown it just needs reopened again and it would be wonderful.

"I see the reopening of the Ulster Canal and they have reopened the Ballyconnel Canal from the Shannon, so I think it would be really great to see that and it would be a really great tourist attraction, bring new life into Newry and all the villages and towns up to Portadown."

When it comes to their thoughts on Rishi Sunak, it was a mixed bag.

One gentleman told us: "he is not a bad lad. He is doing his best."

Others disagreed, saying: "his days are numbered. Rishi Sunak doesn't know what is happening on the ground. He is from a different wealth."

Meanwhile, another added: "we don't have any say in what happens to us. We only have 18 MPs that go across the water so I have no opinion on him really because they are only concerned about what happens on the mainland."

While another said: "as a Prime Minister, he picked up a hot coal. It was bouncing around for quite a few years. I think the Conservative Party have probably run their course in leading the UK and probably it is going to be a sign of change."

On Keir Starmer, once again opinions were mixed with some suggesting he doesn't know if he is a left or right-wing politician.

"I don't like him, he is another Tony Blair and he doesn't know what side he is on. Is he right or is he left? He hasn't got a clue and he is trying to get the middle ground. [Jeremy Corbyn] spoke his mind but you don't get anywhere in this world speaking your mind," one man said.

Another described the job ahead for Starmer as "like turning around an oil tanker".

"People expect things to change overnight but it will take a while for them to change. Where [Labour] take it, it is hard to know as they only have so many cards they can play on the table as well but maybe a fresh bit of thinking might not be a bad thing."

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