'Boris is a bulls******' - Hove shoppers on the election

One key battleground is Hove, where Labour candidate Peter Kyle is gunning to retain his seat against five different challengers.

To find out voters’ views in the crucial final week of the election, reporter Sam Brooke dashed to George Street in Hove to get shoppers’ views on the heated political race.

Bus driver Gary Lewis, 55, of Grand Avenue, Hove

“I’ve sent my postal vote already, I voted for Peter Kyle.

“He seems to have done a good job but I don’t know much about politics.

“It doesn’t really affect me. What I’ve got I’ve done myself and earned myself.

“Whoever’s in power hasn’t made a lot of difference in my life. I don’t really think about it. Whoever wins the election will be there and that’s it.”

Retired teacher Pia Rasmussen, 58, of Kingsway, Hove

“I don’t have a clue who to vote for. I would like for the ballot paper to have an option at the bottom that says ‘I registered to vote but I don’t like any of the candidates’.

“That would encourage more people to vote who don’t usually want to vote.

“I’ve seen them in the House of Commons and they’re worse than children.

“I think they’re disgraceful in the way they treat each other.

“I’m a retired teacher and if children behaved like that in the classroom I wouldn’t have been happy.

“They’re promising all these things and I don’t know how they’re going to pay for them.

“They will either change their mind, get into more debt, or it won’t happen. I voted Labour in the last election, but Corbyn doesn’t seem to have leadership material to me.

“He doesn’t have the air of leadership. He hasn’t got his party behind him.

“I’ve heard that Peter Kyle is only in it for his own self-gain. I know Robert Nemeth and I’ve seen him in action.

“I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him. Brexit has made us quite divided.”

HR officer Pippa Furneaux, 51, of Clarendon Villas, Hove

“I haven’t really decided but the issues that are really important to me are the NHS and pensions because I’m a bit older, childcare and that kind of thing aren’t as important.

“I think I’ll probably vote Labour. I think they’ve got some good ideas like raising the minimum wage.

“They’re more for the working people.

“I get a bit confused about all of it though, there’s so much you hear about it gets a bit confusing.”

Chris Biggins, 41, of Blatchington Road, Hove, works for an airline

“I’m going to vote Labour. I think it’s absolutely disgraceful what the Tories have done to the country.

“Labour is much better on social policy and care, especially on the disabled.

“The Tories have caused a lot of trouble with austerity and they’ve done a terrible job with Brexit.

“I think Labour’s for the people, they care more. And they’re not Tories.

“I’ve been a big Labour voter previously.”

Self-employed plasterer Hani Farag, 55, of Church Road, Hove

“I’m voting Conservative because I like Boris. Britain has the best future under him, he has the best plan. I think he has the best way forward for the country.

“He cares about the British people in many different ways.”

Pierce Turner, 65, is a musician. He lives in Manhattan but was visiting Hove.

“It’s a bit of a worrying election because it seems to me that Jeremy Corbyn is just so lacking in opinion and he doesn’t seem to stand for anything.

“He seems to think being on the fence is a good idea. I find him very frustrating, and usually I would be in favour of Labour.

“Boris Johnson is just another bulls****** like Trump and he comes from the same school. They’re both massive liars.

“It’s a worry for the world to think it’s OK to lie.

“Boris is acting like he’s doing Brexit for the people, but they only voted for it because he made them want to do it.

“I can’t vote, but if I could I would probably vote Labour.”

Pollyanna Doyle, 23, was visiting Hove from Portsmouth

“I’m still undecided. I think there’s a lot of false news going around, so even though it’s between Labour and the Conservatives I’m still not sure who’s best.

“I’m trying to collect opinions from all the people I know so I can make up my mind on the day of the election.

“I hate the idea of it being old vs young because all old people vote Conservative and all young people vote Labour. I don’t think that’s true.”

Adam Ruff, 42, of First Avenue, Hove, works in retail

“I feel really indifferent about it.

“I know for example that Peter Kyle’s definitely going to get in in Hove but I feel a bit unhappy with the choices.

“There are no real options, just one extreme or the other.

“I’m not a Conservative voter, I haven’t been one for a long time. I don’t think I did vote in 2017.

“I don’t think I feel very happy about this election. Everything’s too extreme, I’d like there to be a more moderate candidate.

“I just feel both main parties need to move towards the centre because a lot of people aren’t happy with either of them.”