Parliament hope for Doris

DORIS OSEN claims to be the oldest female parliamentary candidate ever.

The 87-year-old great-grandmother is running as an independent for the Ilford North seat held by Labour’s Wes Streeting. She gathered 87 votes in the constituency in the 2015 election.

Citing social problems including illiteracy and NHS under-funding, the Redbridge resident and self-proclaimed socialist said she “just had to speak up”.

Mrs Osen, a former teacher who has 10 grandchildren and one great-grandson, said: “Austerity will affect young people and the poor. When we get to 2020, people

Doris Osen will be less happy with Theresa May than they are now.

“We’ve got problems with the NHS, and there are difficult Brexit negotiations to come. We just need to sort this country out.”

Mrs Osen, who goes to Bevis Marks Synagogue, said her views had proved popular with voters on the campaign trail so far.

Ilford North has one of the country’s largest Jewish electorates and was won by Mr Streeting by just 589 votes two years ago from Conservative Lee Scott.

Mrs Osen said: “I like both candidates; they both campaign very well and work very hard. But I think I will take votes from both. My policies have a broad appeal.”