A LABOUR candidate has called for the people’s vote after warning of the prospects faced depending on the general election outcome.

Candidate Mary Foy was met with cheers and chants when she attended Redhills, home of the Durham Miners’ Association, in Durham city on Saturday.

Foy is the Labour candidate for the Durham city constituency and said she hopes to be the strong local voice the city needs.

The candidate grew up on a council estate in Jarrow as the daughter of Irish immigrants.

She has been a Labour member for 30 years and was elected to Gateshead Council in 2006, representing the Lamesley ward.

The candidate was also appointed to the Cabinet in 2009, where she held the portfolio for health and wellbeing.

Foy spoke of the importance of public services at the rally and said she was prepared to fight to protect them.

She said: “My eldest child suffered brain damage due to a lack of basic equipment at the time. It was a time when Margaret Thatcher was in charge of our National Health Service. She lived her life with cerebral palsy and despite the trauma surrounding her birth the care she received throughout her life by the National Health Service was second to none.

“I have seen first hand over many years the value of the National Health Service and the magnificent workers who come from all over the world.

"We've seen what the Tories and the Lib Dems have done to our health service following years of cuts, fragmentation and privatisation but Labour will once again give the National Health Service what is needs."

Candidate Foy also said she was passionate about the environment and only Labour has a plan to tackle climate change.

She said: "I am committed to working towards making our economy carbon neutral, installing solar panels on over a million homes, retrofitting homes with insulation to reduce energy use and making public transport more affordable and sustainable.

"The next Labour government will create hundreds of thousands of new, high quality jobs in the green sector and I will work hard to make sure the city of Durham benefits."

Among those attending the rally was Fire Brigade Union general secretary, Matt Wrack and Unison regional secretary, Clare Williams.