YORK Central has been held by Sir Hugh Bayley for Labour since 1992. It will be contested by a new Labour candidate, and opponents from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Ukip, the Green Party, the TUSC and Yorkshire First. Chloe Farand spoke to voters about what is most important to them.

WITH just days to go, 42-year-old Tracey Bergin still had to make a decision about where her vote would go, but she already knew what mattered to her most. She said: “I haven’t fully made up my mind in all honesty. I think I need more time to look at policies.

“For me what’s really important is the NHS and the budget for nurses and health care. That’s because I work in that field and my husband is doing some work for the NHS so we witness it first hand. We really need to do something about the NHS and privatisation, I don’t think, is the way.”

Like her, 63-year-old John Warren, is still a voter whose support could yet be won by one of the parties.

He said: “I have not decided yet. I have looked at policies but nothing stands out as something that is going to have me vote for a particular party. Normally I pretty much know what I am going to do.

The economy and employment for young people is, I think, what’s the most important for now.”

Peter Shepherd, 35, said: “I am 95 per cent sure of who I’m going to vote for. I have been doing some research and I have made my decision in the last couple of weeks.

“The tax system is a waste of money and the NHS is falling apart, those are the two important areas of the election for me.”

Others, however, already know which way they will vote. One of them is Roderick Tooher, 66, who said: “I have made my mind a while ago, I always vote the same thing.

What really concerns me is the level of poverty, young people unemployed and unable to buy homes.

“I am aware of the parliamentary candidates, but I think the parties at a national level are more important.”

Rachel Croft, 22, student, added: “I have made up my mind recently after talking to people who know a bit more about it than me because it’s all a bit confusing. When looking online at what they stand for, they all seem quite idealistic but I don’t know what to believe.

“I’m from quite a poor background so anything that is going to make my life better will be appealing. A lot of things which have been implemented have been beneficial to rich people.

"I think the privatisation of the NHS is horrific. I’m not looking at the candidate’s names at all actually but more the parties themselves because I don’t know why it would make a difference.”

But with the city council elections falling on the same day as the General Election, the mix of local and national issues has complicated the voting decision for some.

Richard Kay, 37, said: “I have decided how to vote for the local but not for the General Election. Perhaps my vote will be a bit strategic.

Education, health and environment are key. There have been a lot of changes to the public sector which have had a really negative impact on services and we need to think about the environment.

“I am more interested in the local candidates. I am not going to put a vote depending on who could be at number 10.”