New poll predicts Conservatives would lose to Lib Dems in Esher and Walton
A major new poll has predicted that the Liberal Democrats could be on course to defeat the Conservative Party with a majority of over 5,000 in Esher and Walton at the next election.
The MRP poll by Stonehaven, reported in The Times this week, finds that Esher and Walton - the formerly safe Conservative seat held by Dominic Raab for 13 years - would be taken by Liberal Democrat candidate Monica Harding, with a majority of 5,360 if an election were held now. The poll takes into account the predicted impact of tactical voting as voters swing behind the candidate most likely to beat the Conservatives.
It comes after Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey vowed to “tear down the Blue Wall” at the next election in his speech to his party’s Autumn Conference, following the party’s four stunning by-election wins in formerly safe Conservative seats in the past two years.
The Liberal Democrats have set out a range of landmark policies at their conference, focused on fixing local health services that have been run into the ground. These include giving people the right to see a GP within a week or 24 hours if in urgent need, a legal guarantee to start cancer treatment within two months of an urgent referral and ensuring people can get an NHS dentist appointment when they need one.
Responding to the poll, Liberal Democrat candidate for Esher and Walton, Monica Harding, said:
“This poll shows the momentum is with the Liberal Democrats in Esher and Walton. I am proud that we have set out a clear plan to fix our local health services, end years of Conservative Party neglect and deliver the change people here deserve.
“For too long this Conservative Government has taken our area for granted and failed to tackle the big issues faced by local families. People here tell me they are fed up with struggling to get a GP appointment, soaring prices in the shops and our rivers being polluted by filthy sewage.
“It’s now clearer than ever that only the Liberal Democrats can beat the Conservative Party in Esher and Walton and that every vote will count. As our next MP, I would stand up for local families and provide the strong voice in Parliament that our area so desperately needs.”
