Prime Minister heralds Hampshire's female Conservative candidates in final day before general election
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak heralded the high proportion of female Conservative representatives in Hampshire as he spent the final day of the general election campaign in one of their constituencies.
The Conservative leader was back in the county where he was born and raised on the eve of polling day. He visited Braishfield Primary School with Romsey and Southampton North candidate Caroline Nokes.
Ms Nokes is projected to be in a close race with Geoff Cooper of the Liberal Democrats in her bid to hold onto the constituency where she has been the MP since its inception in 2010.
In 2019, six of the 18 Hampshire constituencies were won by women representing the Conservatives and the Tories have seven female candidates across the county this time around - including Portsmouth North’s Penny Mordaunt and Fareham and Waterlooville’s Suella Braverman.
When asked if he was worried experienced and senior voices in the party, like Ms Nokes and Penny Mordaunt, could lose their seats, Mr Sunak said: “Hampshire actually has one of the highest proportion of female MPs that we have anywhere in the country. Fantastic candidates like Caroline, who is a good friend of mine, but also Penny and Maria [Miller in Basingstoke] and many others.”
However, the Liberal Democrat presence in Romsey and Southampton North was seen first-hand as party campaigners gathered outside the school holding large orange placards to welcome the Prime Minister to Braishfield.
During his afternoon at the school, Mr Sunak and Ms Nokes made putty pizzas with reception class children.
Mr Sunak, who was born and raised in Southampton, said that every single vote could make a difference on polling day.
He said: “Not just to get Caroline back in parliament, so she can continue to do a great job for her local community, but it’s a vote to keep having your taxes cut, have your pension protected, have our borders secure and prevent a Labour super majority and that’s what I want everyone to have on their mind going into tomorrow.”