Voters voice priorities ahead of general election

Jane Bundy said the climate crisis was a priority for her

Education, immigration and local roads have been raised as some of the biggest issued by voters in Market Drayton, ahead of the general election.

Members of the public in the town have been speaking to the BBC as part of the Your Voice, Your Vote campaign about what they want to see from candidates.

Some had a clear idea of what they are looking for, and specific issues that they want to see addressed.

Others told our reporter of their distrust for politicians, one even going as far as saying she would not vote again.

Darrell Carter highlighted the state of local roads and the lack of buses in the area

"I just want to see some honesty," said Darrell Carter, "less smoke and mirrors."

He said education and infrastructure were issues he wanted to see candidates talk about.

"We're a market town, the buses have all been cut and there's no way to get out."

"And sort the roads out, because the roads are a mess," he added.

For Simon Airey, immigration, the NHS and the economy are at the top of his list.

"The NHS, education, everything else, is only sustainable if it’s getting enough funding, and it’s not," he said.

"It's a balance between the amount of money going into services, and amount of people in the country. If we tip the balance in the wrong way as we are at the moment, services fail."

Market trader Simon Frankham said he wanted to see policies that supported small businesses

Boundary changes mean that people in the area could find themselves in a new constituency.

The Wrekin seat, most recently held by Conservative Mark Pritchard, is being extended north, to the very edge of Market Drayton.

Simon Frankham, is a trader in the town's market. Being self employed, he is looking for policies that support businesses.

Aside from that, immigration is a "big concern".

"How are we going to accommodate all these people coming over on boats?" he said.

"I'm also worried about defence. What's happening in eastern Europe, I think could spill over into western Europe, so I think we need a strong defence.

"They need to spend more time putting money back into the community," said one person, who wished to remain anonymous, "the high street is dying so they’ve got to do something."

"When you see the state in some of the schools, how can children learn in an environment like that? It's not right. Don’t start me on the roads."

Jane Bundy said she was looking for things that affect her locally, rather than nationally.

"Things to do with the climate crisis are quite high on my agenda," she said.

"Are there going to be green grants for retrofitting your home? Are they going to have more public transport? More bike lanes?

"They are the sorts of things which interest me."

One person, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "I don’t really believe a word any of them say."

"I’m just disgusted in the way the country is at the moment. I’m ashamed to be British is the answer to that, and I’m not voting any more."