THE Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition is set to field a candidate in the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council local elections on Thursday.

Mayola Blagdon, of Cherry Tree Walk, Oakridge, will be standing as a candidate for the Norden ward for the party at the local elections on Thursday and the party is set to open a branch in Basingstoke.

The mother-of-two, who is also a member of the Unite the Union group, will go up against current Labour councillor George Hood, Conservative hopeful Jim Holder, Liberal Democrats candidate Doris Jones, Green Party contender Lynsey Moore and UKIP’s Duncan Stone.

Mayola, who is 41-years-old, said: “Over the last month I have been in town on Wote street with a campaign stall every Tuesday from 12 and the amount of people coming to speak to me who are frustrated with the situation the country is in has been overwhelming.

“Everybody is struggling on low wages and feeling the result of the cuts. Lots of Sure Start Centres have closed in Basingstoke, there's not enough nursery and school places available, the Discovery Centre is now closed on Sundays which is one of the very few free indoor places you can go to.

“The waiting list for social housing is 7,500 people and even though there's a lot of new building projects in and around Basingstoke far too little are social rent.”

Along with party policy, if elected, Ms Blagdon will oppose all cuts to council jobs and services, vote against council tax increases, campaign for the living wage and support action against climate change.