A SITTING councillor in the Oldpark DEA ward, Fiona Ferguson is the People Before Profit candidate in the upcoming Assembly election on May 5.

Not afraid to speak out against the main parties, Fiona is hoping to convince people to vote for an alternative politics.

In a sit-down interview with the North Belfast News, Fiona began by talking about some of the main issues on the doors.

"Cost of living," she says without hesitation.

"Most people across North Belfast, even those who would not normally find themselves in a financially worrying situation are asking, what am I going to do at the end of month.

"There is real anger that more has not been done to help people, especially the unspent £300 million. I don’t think I have heard that figure as much on the doors as any other election.

"In terms of health, waiting lists is the concern, particularly for people in working class communities who can’t afford to go private are waiting for years to get healthcare they need."

As for solutions, Fiona believes the money is there to literally put people before profit.

"The money is there to solve a lot of these crisis. When the pandemic hit, billions of money was moved overnight, much to big private companies and mates of Boris Johnston," she continued.

"Over here, we had vouchers for high street businesses, eat out to help out. We now have a cost of living crisis- where are the vouchers to help people pay for their fuel at the end of the week?

"The bigger parties often criticised People Before Profit by asking, where is the magical money tree? That question has been answered during the pandemic.

"People look around North Belfast and see the same faces and the same parties who make the same promises. By the end of the mandate, there is less investment.

"There is not enough funding for mental health services to provide counselling for vulnerable people in our society.

"I would get counsellors into local GP surgeries for better access to mental health services.

"I would support a windfall tax or a long-term more progressive tax on big companies.

"As for housing, we need more of it. The latest proposals of building houses by the Communities Minister mean it would take us 20-25 years to clear the waiting list. That is clearly not good enough.

"We want the Minister to end plans to privatise the Housing Executive. We have seen how it worked across the water, which led to deteriorating conditions for tenants and workers."

Fiona hit out at the DUP over the protocol and the collapse of Stormont earlier this year, saying it is definitely not the main issue in this election.

"I have not seen it raised yet on the doors but that is not to say it will come up," she said.

"One thing for sure is that it is not the key issue of this election. The DUP trying to force the protocol as the key issue is an attempt to go up the polls because they know they are falling.

"The DUP are trying to whip up division over the protocol in order to maintain their seats and that is an anti-democratic disgrace.

"The vast majority of people think the protocol is the best option we have on the table and any attempts to undermine it goes against the will of the majority of people.

"The DUP would be better offering solutions to climate change, housing, cost-of-living and health crisis.

"I think the DUP gambled in pulling down the Executive and it didn’t pay off. They thought people were angry at the protocol and it hasn’t materialised. I think they have made a massive error.

"I think there will be an Executive formed but we will probably see some grandstanding before it happens."

In a message to the bigger parties, Fiona is asking people, what has changed over the last 20 years?

"It is obvious to people things are not better than they were 20 years ago.

"For people of my generation, we were sold the promise of a peace dividend. We are struggling now to be able to get our own home, people who do have their own homes are struggling during this cost of living crisis. Wages are nowhere near what they should be. Times are harder now.

"The bigger parties have failed- it is time to move aside. It is time for a new politics that does not focus on division."

As a councillor, Fiona believes her record speaks for itself, and says she has always put workers and people first.

"Since 2019, I have put forward in council the key issues for us. I have secured almost £400,000 for key services, mainly the Citywide Tribunal Service which is chronically underfunded every year. Jobs will be lost and people will lose a vital service in their constituency.

"I have also used my position to focus heavily on workers to support Council workers, health workers. I have put local communities, jobs, working conditions and welfare services front and centre.

"A platform as an MLA would allow me to advance issues. I look at what Gerry Carroll has done as a West Belfast MLA, I think North Belfast needs it even more. I believe we could help thousands of people."

In a message for people ahead of May 5 polling day, Fiona concludes: "It doesn’t have to be the way it is now.

"People see hardship in their own homes and see that things have not changed in the last ten years for the better. Things have got worse. If we continue to vote for the same parties who continue to de-prioritise working class communities.

"I would urge people to vote People Before Profit number one. Vote as left and progressive as possible and vote as far down the list as you can stomach."