General Election 2024: Portsmouth "fed up" with Conservatives and voting Labour by default, candidate says
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Sir Keir Starmer is expected to become the next Prime Minister of the UK, with the poll forecasting a 279-seat majority over the Tories. This is in contrast to the 2019 general election, where Boris Johnson secured an 80-seat majority for the Tories, and Jeremy Corbyn led Labour to its worst result since 1935.
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Hide AdIn Portsmouth, the BBC estimates that Penny Mordaunt has a 25 per cent chance of retaining her Portsmouth North seat. The Conservatives are predicted to drop to 131 MPs, their lowest post-war number. The Liberal Democrats are expected to secure third place with 61 MPs.
The Scottish National Party is projected to have 10 MPs, while Reform UK is forecasted to win 13 MPs according to the exit poll. In Portsmouth North, Penny Mordaunt has been predicted to lose her seat while in the southern constituency, Stephen Morgan is on track to win a comfortable majority.
Reacting to the poll Jacob Short, Portsmouth South candidate for the Portsmouth Independent Party said: “I think that when people are fed up for the Tories the fact they’re getting that high concerns me. The only reason Labour are getting as much as they’re getting is because people don’t see any other choice because of our two-party system.
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Hide Ad“I believe those numbers are fairly accurate, but whether the intention is whether people like Labour or the Tories, I couldn’t tell you.” Reform UK candidate for Portsmouth North Melvyn Todd said the projection is “great” but “in my own head I thought we’d get more – based on the reaction I’ve got from people when I’ve been campaigning.”
Opting for a summer election instead of waiting until the autumn was always a risk, and the Prime Minister faced additional challenges due to the scandal involving Tory candidates and officials allegedly using inside information to place bets on the election date. Mr Sunak is expected to resign after leading his party to defeat. However, many of those vying to succeed him are anxiously awaiting their own constituency results to see if their leadership ambitions remain viable.
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