General Election 2024: All eyes on Suella Braverman as Fareham count continues

The newly-formed constituency of Fareham and Waterlooville, created following the 2023 boundary review, has seven candidates throw their hat in the ring to become the new MP. The new seat represents parts of Fareham and Meon Valley, combining the eastern half of the previous Fareham constituency with Waterlooville, Southwick, Denmead, Wickham, and Knowle.

Exit polls suggest former Home Secretary Suella Braverman will be re-elected. Labour campaigner Andy Driver said: “We are doing well considering that generally, Fareham is not a traditional stronghold for Labour. People are fed-up with the Tories and that has come out positively after 14 years of austerity. Good to see that national change is necessary.

“Gemma [Furnivall] is head and shoulders above the rest as a candidate. She is local and committed to Fareham and Waterlooville. Were they to elect her she would make a tremendous MP.” David Harrison is representing the Green Party as candidate Baz Marie is on holiday.

He joked: “As a grandfather, he booked the holiday before the election was called and Rishi didn’t consult him on it.” Mr Harrison said the Green Party hoped to make a difference and knows it cannot win. If they get five per cent of the vote that would be an achievement and would get their deposit back which would be a first.

Ex-leader of Fareham Borough Council Sean Woodward (Conservative), said there has been a good reaction on the doorstep but the exit poll was devastating for the Conservative nationally.

Reform candidate Kevan Chippendall-Higgin said: “The people will say what the people will say and we’ll take it from there.” Edward Dean, Rejoin EU candidate, said: “Lots of people want to rejoin the EU but not wanting to not vote for a main party. That’s our little problem.”

The former Fareham and Meon Valley constituencies were previously held by Suella Braverman and Flick Drummond of the Conservative Party, respectively. Ms Braverman has been elected three times in Fareham since 2010, securing 63.7 per cent of the vote in the last election in 2019. Fellow Conservative Flick Drummond has represented Meon Valley since 2019 and was the MP for Portsmouth South between 2015 and 2017. At this election, Mrs Drummond is standing as a candidate in Winchester.

The candidates for Fareham and Waterlooville:

Suella Braverman – The Conservative Party

Kevan Chippindall-Higgin – Reform UK

Edward Dean – Rejoin EU

Gemma Furnivall – Labour Party

Bella Hewitt – Liberal Democrats

Robert Holliday – Hampshire Independents

Baz Marie – Green Party