Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has vowed to “tear down the blue wall” as he treads into electoral territory held by senior Conservative ministers.
Sir Ed is beginning the new year with a series of political campaigning visits to Tory seats across Surrey, including those represented by the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, and Communities Secretary Michael Gove.
He also plans to hold a campaign rally in Guildford on Wednesday as part of the road trip through the Home Counties’ constituencies.
The Liberal Democrats have won formerly Conservative constituencies across southern England in a series of by-elections since the 2019 general election.
These have included Chesham and Amersham in Buckinghamshire, Frome in Somerset, Tiverton and Honiton in Devon, and North Shropshire, swelling the current number of Lib Dem MPs to 11.
Mr Gove held the Surrey Heath constituency with a majority of 18,349 over his Lib Dem opponent at the 2019 general election, but the opposition party are seeking to build upon local victories at the next nationwide poll.
The party took control of Mr Gove’s local Surrey Heath Council at the local elections in May 2023, and have also become the largest party on Waverley Borough Council in Mr Hunt’s area in recent years.
Sir Ed said: “The Liberal Democrats have seen spectacular gains against the Conservative Party across the Home Counties in recent years.
“But we know the real hard work begins now, as we build on our recent successes and aim to get rid of as many Conservative MPs as possible at the next election.”
The next general election is the first in which new constituency boundaries will be used.
In 2019, Mr Hunt held his South West Surrey constituency with a 8,817 majority over his Lib Dem rival, but he is expected to contest the new constituency of Godalming and Ash at the next election.
It is unclear yet what the impact of the newly created constituency will have on the local vote share.
But the Lib Dem leader insisted families across the Home Counties were “fed up with seeing their rivers ruined by sewage, their local hospitals crumble while mortgages and rents go through the roof”.
Sir Ed added: “This is the year we can tear down the Blue Wall and get rid of this appalling Conservative Government for good.
“Every vote for the Liberal Democrats is a vote to elect a strong local champion who will stand up for local health services and fight for a fair deal for their community.”
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