New candidate Audrey wa

It’s a busy Friday morning on Clanbrassil Street as first time candidate Audrey Fergus takes her canvass to the town centre. ‘General Election - People Before Profit’, she says as she offers passers-by her election literature. The re-action is mixed. Some ignore her and walk past, others decline the leaflets but then there’s those who greets her warmly and are happy to engage in conversation tell her of their worries. Although this is the first time she has stood for election, it’s not her first involvement with politics, Down the years she has been a social activist and was director of elections for People Before Profit candidate Garret Weldon at the last election. When he announced that he was putting his name forward this time - after getting a very creditable 3,500 first preference votes, she agreed to put her name forward.

‘It’s about getting the message across and connecting with people,’ she says, as she walks down Clanbrassil Street, accompanied by Garret.

One of the first people they meet is Dominic McKevitt from the Armagh Road. ‘Crime is definitely a major issue, because people are afraid of their lives,’ he says.

‘We meed to tackle the root cause,’ says Audrey, noting that young people growing up with unequal changes are ripe for the picking by drug gangs.

She says that Ireland needs to look at the Portuguese model of tackling drugs, which included decriminalisation, as well as more community policing which would help people feel safer in their own homes.

At the back of the issues which she is hearing on the doorsteps - homelessness, the cost of housing and rents, hospital waiting lists and crimes, is, she says ‘ the need for a fair distribution of wealth.’

‘ The cost of living is another big issue, whether it’s the cost of commuting or childcare. People are fearful of getting sick and having to tip into the dysfunctional health service. There are no supports for people, we have a real crisis in mental health. Everyone is affected.’

The answer, she says ‘is to shake up the tax system and to create funds to provide services that people need.’

Ireland, she argues, needs to look at other countries to see how things are done and to copy what is working elsewhere. She references Finland for tackling homelessness and planning to introduce a four day week.

People Before Profit have, she says, a properly costed plan which represents a way of changing the way things are done in the country. That’s why, aged 53, she has decided to stand for election.

‘ This is the first party I’ve ever signed up for. I would have a ‘floating voter’, always a Republican, but then People Before Profit came along and I bought into their politics. They had the complete package and