Lib Dems ‘within a hair’s breadth’ of beating Tories
Lib Dems in Torridge and Tavistock have hailed the latest YouGov poll as confirmation that they are within striking distance of ousting Geoffrey Cox as MP. The opinion poll is the first of the General Election campaign to ask voters to state their voting intentions based on the actual candidates and parties standing. It shows that Lib Dem candidate Phil Hutty is the main challenger to the Conservatives in Torridge and Tavistock, with 24% of the vote, while the Conservatives are on 30%. Nigel Farage’s entry into the fight has put Reform in third place in Torridge and Tavistock, with Labour now trailing fourth.
Chris West, a Lib Dem councillor for West Devon and a prominent member of Phil Hutty’s team, commented:
‘These figures are much more in line with our own canvassing returns, and the figures are only going our way. Early polls based on national projections had been very misleading as no-one who knows this area thinks that Labour can win here. More and more people are telling us on the doorstep that they will vote for us because they want to see the end of the Tories and they like our policies.’
Lib Dem candidate Phil Hutty said:
‘These latest figures show the impact that we have been making during the campaign with an enthusiastic team of volunteers who have been talking to voters in every corner of the constituency. It is startling how many people have said they have never had anyone call on them before and listen to their concerns. There is no doubt people want change and they know that a strong Lib Dem presence in the next Parliament will represent their concerns.’
Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin, leader of the Lib Dem group on Torridge District Council, said:
‘I was amazed to see that the Prime Minister had come down here to support Geoffrey Cox in what was supposed to be a safe seat for the Tories. It just shows how much they fear the momentum behind our campaign. People don’t trust the Tories anymore and are turning to Phil as someone who really cares about rural communities and will speak out and vote in our interests in Parliament.'
The YouGov poll published on 19 June shows the Lib Dems are on track to win a record number of seats across the country and to perform particularly well in the south west.
