Havant General Election dubbed 'three way race' between Labour, Reform and Conservatives

Tensions are rising by the minute at the Havant count as the candidates eagerly await their fate after weeks of campaigning. The officially started following the arrival of the ballot boxes which were received at the Horizon Havant Leisure Centre at approximately 10pm. 

The Havant seat has been held by Alan Mak since 2015. The 2019 general election results demonstrated a significant triumph for him as he secured a majority with 30,051 compared to Labour with 8,259 votes - but, the question is: ‘can he keep his seat?’. Alan has received a lot of scrutiny following his failure to attend the five hustings for Havant over the past few weeks - and he has not been spotted at the Havant count as of yet. 

The opposing Labour candidate, Stefanie Harvey, has said that she is confident about the outcome of the count. She said: “I have done a really positive campaign, it has been really well received. I am quietly hopeful. I think we have got a really good chance. I think it will be close between me and Mr Mak. 

“For me, it should be about what people can bring to Havant - The feeling on the ground is very positive.” 

The election for the Havant constituency has been referred to as the ‘three way race’ between the Conservative Party, Labour and Reform UK with the piles of votes quickly stacking up evenly. 

John Perry, the Reform UK candidate, said: “It is going to be a very very interesting election because people fear Starmer’s tax rise and the Tories are for making the rich richer and the poor poorer. 

“The campaign has been very interesting. I have found that many many Conservative voters have said that they have been loyal Conservative voters but they don’t like what the Tories have done over the last five years and they won’t vote for them but the question is where is that vote going? Is it going to Labour or is it going to Reform?

“I am not surprised that people feel that Brexit has been a failure because I believe that the Conservative party deliberately failed to deliver the Brexit we were promised - they have sabotaged Brexit.”

Netty Shepherd, the Green Party candidate, said that she has ‘loved every minute of the campaign’ and that the Green party is now being taken much more seriously than in previous years. 

She said: “It has been really good - It has been a brilliant campaign, really exciting and it has been great to meet all of the people. 

“We could have done without it being straight after the local elections because I was elected as a councillor but getting out there and meeting people and thinking about the future of Havant and the country is brilliant. 

“I’m not going to win but we have really enjoyed meeting Stefanie at the hustings. I think she is going to make a cracking MP. I hope she does well. Reform was also doing well so I think it is going to be a three way race.

“A lot of people are starting to see that the Greens are not just a side show and that we are a credible party with good policies which is great.” 

For more updates about the General Election, click here.