Black Country folk speak their minds and what better place for a chat about the general election than down the pub.

I took a trip to The Old Priory in Dudley to check out what regulars and the gaffer are thinking when it comes to politics. I wanted to know what mattered to the people of Dudley – a tough town with its fair share of problems.

Pub manager Carl Hodgetts has the town in his heart and is respected, even by some of his more difficult customers. He told me: “We are probably the least troubled pub in town, mainly because a lot of the nasty ones won’t fight in here.

“A lad was stabbed, we know him, he is a hard case – a nutter, he drinks in here, he is a friend of mine so, if you like he is my nutter. He has looked after me when people have kicked off in here.”

So what does the general election mean in a place like Dudley? The seat is currently held by Conservative, Marco Longhi who is fighting for his place in the House of Commons with a tough message on immigration at the top of his agenda.

In the bar of the town centre pub, The Old Priory, immigration is also an election issue for customers but not the only thing on peoples’ minds. Mr Hodgetts added: “The main thing is policing, you are scared to walk around the streets round here.

“People like us, old school, know how safe it was now you are scared to go anywhere, pubs shut early if they stay open they get all the trouble in.”

Mr Hodgetts believes national politicians do not understand the reality of living in towns like Dudley. He said: “They are not in tune with what’s going on, folks get beaten up, we have seen folks stabbed, it’s a horrible town."

Despite feeling disillusioned with what he calls ‘big general politics’ Mr Hodgetts is more positive about his constituency MP. He said: “The town ain’t coming to life so a lot of people are thinking whoever gets in – it will be all the same.

“The government is not so brilliant, you can’t blame Marco, he does his bit but the government ain’t doing their bit for the country.”

Customer Nick Floyd, a 56-year-old carpenter, puts the NHS at the top of his list of priorities after needing treatment following a heart attack. He said: “The NHS are brilliant but they are underfunded, you can’t expect nurses and doctors to work 12 hours a day and at your GP you can’t get in.

“The government says they are spending money on it but where is it? I don’t want to drop down dead at work”. 

Mr Floyd remembers the outbreak of Covid 19 and has plenty of sympathy for former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He said: “I’ve always been Labour but when we had the pandemic Johnson was chucked in the deep end and I think he did a cracking job.

“As soon as it was over he was criticised for everything he did – that’s the reason why I would vote Conservative.”

Paul Grey, a retired jeweller aged 67, has concerns about the cost of living but is unconvinced by the idea of a change of government. He said: “We pay too much for everything, food, clothing, fuel. Labour – I don’t think they would make a very good government, the Tories seem to be running it properly, I like the things they do.”