Chancellor Hunt faces ‘knife edge’ battle to return to Parliament
Jeremy Hunt said his seat, which has a notional majority of more than 10,000, is ‘very marginal’.
Jeremy Hunt said he faces a “knife edge” battle to win his seat in the face of a Liberal Democrat push to claim a high-profile scalp on July 4.
The Chancellor is standing in Godalming and Ash, a seat with a notional Conservative majority of more than 10,000.
But he said the newly-created Surrey seat was “very marginal”, while the Lib Dems view it as their opportunity for a “Portillo moment” on election night.
Ed Davey visits the Godalming and Ash constituency" data-title="Sir Ed Davey visits the Godalming and Ash constituency" data-copyright-holder="PA Wire" data-copyright-notice="PA Wire/PA Images" data-credit="Stefan Rousseau" data-usage-terms="" srcset="https://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/77b4a569aa763fb416954471484fdf40Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzE4ODY5NTkz/2.75537297.jpg?w=320 320w, https://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/77b4a569aa763fb416954471484fdf40Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzE4ODY5NTkz/2.75537297.jpg?w=640 640w, https://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/77b4a569aa763fb416954471484fdf40Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzE4ODY5NTkz/2.75537297.jpg?w=1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px">The Chancellor is facing a battle to win Godalming and Ash in Surrey, with the Liberal Democrats keen on taking a high-profile scalp.
Boundary changes mean Mr Hunt is standing in the newly created seat, which would have had a Conservative majority of 10,720 if it had been fought on those boundaries at the 2019 election.
In a reference to then-cabinet minister Michael Portillo’s election loss in 1997, Mr Hunt was asked whether he faced anew Portillo moment.
He told broadcasters: “This is a very marginal constituency. I’ve always treated it as a marginal constituency.
“I’m fighting for every vote. I think that I can win the seat. But I don’t take anything for granted.
“It is on a knife edge. And that’s what I’m knocking on doors for, six hours every day, meeting lots of people, making the arguments.”