- Title: "All of them are liars" disenchanted London voters brace for election
- Date: 8th December 2019
- Summary: DAGENHAM, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (DECEMBER 8, 2019) (REUTERS) SHOPPERS IN DAGENHAM SUNDAY MARKET SANTA MODEL IN MARKET VARIOUS OF BRITISH FLAGS FLYING OVER FAST FOOD STALL (SOUNDBITE) (English) SHOPPER FROM BOURNEMOUTH WHO VOTED TO LEAVE EU HELEN WRIGHT TALKING TO JOURNALIST SAYING: JOURNALIST: "Do you know how you're going to vote yet?" WRIGHT: "Yes." JOURNALIST: "How are you going to vote?" WRIGHT: "Conservative." JOURNALIST: "Do you normally?" WRIGHT: "Yes… No! But I want to get out of this EU. I want to be out." JOURNALIST: "And you trust Boris Johnson to be…" WRIGHT: "Not particularly but he's about the only one who's going to get us out as far as I can make out." (SOUNDBITE) (English) SHOPPER FROM BOURNEMOUTH WHO IS PLANNING ON NOT VOTING MAGGIE POCOCK, SAYING: "They've just got nothing to offer. (opposition leader) Jeremy Corbyn, well I just don't like him at all, and Boris Johnson, well he seems to tell one lie after another so… Who knows?" VARIOUS OF STALL HOLDER SELLING TOYS BAGS OF TOYS ON FLOOR STALLHOLDER SELLING TOYS CARTOON OF BRITISH TV CHARACTER DEL BOY WHO WAS MARKET TRADER SHOPPERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SHOPPER WHO VOTED TO REMAIN IN EU REFERENDUM ALAN WEST, SAYING: "I'm 50 and it's the worst I've ever seen the state of the politics. The whole board of them are liars, as has been proved time and time and time again. But who else do you vote for? There's only really two in the race so to me that's (Johnson is) the lesser of the two evils. I did consider not voting at all but that's obviously not going to get us anywhere." VARIOUS OF MARKET TRADER SELLING MEAT PEOPLE WATCHING (SOUNDBITE) (English) STALL HOLDER AND BREXIT SUPPORTER WHO LIVES IN BIRMINGHAM BUT WAS ORIGINALLY FROM SCOTLAND BILL WATERSON SAYING: "He's (Johnson is) like a breath of fresh air, and that's what we want. He's talking for the people, he's just saying it straight, right? We voted out, we want out. Take back control." (SOUNDBITE) (English) STALL HOLDER DEBBIE NENUCO, SAYING: "I most probably would go Boris if I had to go anyone. He's straight to the point, Boris is." SHOPPERS SIGNS ANNOUNCING PRICES (SOUNDBITE) (English) BREXIT SUPPORTER WHO PLANS TO VOTE FOR JOHNSON BUT MIGHT OTHERWISE VOTE LABOUR IF NOT FOR CORBYN LEE WHITE, SAYING: "It's the Brexit election that's what it is, that's what it's about. If Brexit was already done and there was an election people's vote would probably be a bit different but people are voting tactically to stop Brexit or to get Brexit done. That's the only reason people vote in this election." VARIOUS OF SHOPPERS
- Embargoed: 22nd December 2019 12:44
- Keywords: Dagenham Essex General election UK politics
- Location: DAGENHAM, ESSEX, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- City: DAGENHAM, ESSEX, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001B94624N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Shoppers at a vast market in Dagenham, east London, were far more concerned about nabbing pre-Christmas bargains on Sunday (December 8) than about the upcoming general election with many planning to back incumbent prime minister Boris Johnson through gritted teeth describing him as "the lesser of two evils".
The latest opinion polls put Johnson's Conservative party ahead by between eight and 15 points in the run up to the December 12 vote but at the lower end of that range he may still be deprived of a majority and see his plans to take Britain out of the EU by January 31 thwarted.
If he is to succeed he needs to convince leave voters, even those who would traditionally back the opposition Labour Party, that he is serious about delivering Brexit.
Helen Wright left Bournemouth on England's south coast in the early hours of Sunday to shop at the Dagenham Sunday Market with its 500 stalls spread over 6 acres. She voted to leave the EU in 2016 and though she does not have much time for Johnson she said she plans to back him in the hope that he will deliver Brexit.
"He's about the only one who's going to get us out," she said.
Most voters at the market appeared to have a low opinion of both party leaders with many, including Wright's friend Maggie Pocock, saying they would not vote at all.
Many shoppers had come from far away but the market itself is in the Barking constituency which the Labour Party has never lost. It is also one of the few areas of London to have voted leave in the 2016 referendum. Some in the party believe a Brexit policy many voters view as ambiguous could cost them votes.
Roofer Alan West said he was planning to back Johnson but that the quality of the candidates at the election - Britain's third in five years - was the worst he'd ever seen.
"All of them are liars, as has been proved time and time and time again," he said over breakfast at the market.
"I did consider not voting at all but that's obviously not going to get us anywhere," he added.
(Production: Branko Filipovic, Johnny Cotton) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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