Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and veteran cabinet member Michael Gove are at the forefront of a targeted campaign by the Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) to unseat prominent Tory figures in the upcoming general election.
This effort is part of a broader strategy by the Lib Dems to dismantle the Conservative Party’s stronghold in traditionally safe southern constituencies. Regions like Surrey, once considered unwinnable for the Lib Dems, are now squarely in their sights.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, buoyed by the party’s victory in the Chesham and Amersham by-election in 2021, has been vocal about his ambitions to turn the “blue wall” of Tory dominance into a “yellow wall” on the electoral map.
The Liberal Democrats plan to channel extra resources into seats held by five current cabinet ministers and five more being vacated by former Tory stalwarts, including Theresa May and Sir John Redwood.
This strategy mirrors the party’s ill-fated “decapitation” effort in 2005, which failed disastrously.
During the 2005 election, the Lib Dems aimed to unseat prominent Tories, including then-leader Michael Howard and his deputy, Oliver Letwin. However, they fell short, with most targeted Conservatives increasing their majorities.
This time, however, the Lib Dems are buoyed by a new poll suggesting they could win more seats than the Conservatives. Party leaders are optimistic about achieving significant upsets in the upcoming election.
Boundary Shifts and Cabinet Targets
In the newly created Godalming and Ash constituency, a significant portion was previously South West Surrey. Before the boundary was redrawn, Hunt enjoyed a comfortable 8,817-vote majority in the 2019 elections.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has invested £100,000 of his funds to safeguard his seat amid rising concerns.
Simultaneously, the Liberal Democrats are eyeing Cabinet veteran Michael Gove’s Surrey Heath stronghold as a potential win. Despite boundary adjustments, the Lib Dems are optimistic about overturning Gove’s previous 18,349-vote majority from 2019.
Additionally, several other cabinet ministers find themselves under intense scrutiny from the Lib Dems.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan in Chichester, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer in South East Cambridgeshire, and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk in Cheltenham are all being heavily targeted by the Liberal Democrats in their bid to shake up the political landscape.
The recent boundary review has had a significant impact on the nominal majorities of several candidates. Mr Chalk, who had a majority of only 981 in 2019, is now facing an uncertain future.
Ms Frazer, with a majority of 11,490, is also in a precarious position. Ms Keegan, on the other hand, appears to be in a more secure position with a majority of 21,490.
Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper said, “Conservative bigwigs are not safe from losing their seats after their disastrous record in government.”
“A string of Conservative Ministers have completely botched their jobs, from crashing the economy to letting hospitals crumble and sewage pollute our rivers. There is no such thing as a safe Conservative seat anymore. The British public is fed up after years of sleaze and scandal.
“The Liberal Democrats are ready to kick these Conservative big beasts out of office. Across vast swathes of the country, it is a two-horse race between the Liberal Democrats and a desperately out-of-touch Conservative party.”
Daisy Cooper
Moreover, the Lib Dems aim to defeat former cabinet members Greg Clark in Tunbridge Wells, Theresa May in Maidenhead, Sir John Redwood in Wokingham, Dominic Raab in Esher and Walton, and Nadhim Zahawi in Stratford-upon-Avon.
As such, Lib Dems are poised to disrupt Tory dominance with targeted campaigns and strategic maneuvers, aiming for significant upsets in key constituencies, signaling a potential shift in UK’s politics.
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