Going by the opinion polls, SW Surrey MP Jeremy Hunt’s time at the top table could be limited.

 After yesterday’s smash-and-grab raid on our finances, he might find himself shunned by voters regardless of where he hangs his hat at the next election.

Will ‘Your Waverley’ take advantage of the council tax hikes to which he gave the green light? You can bet your last pound that Tory-led Surrey County Council will. A 5% hike will make up for some of its poor commercial investment decisions, including Blightwells in Farnham.

Undoubtedly, the Chancellor’s nod to behemoth unitary authorities yesterday will embolden Surrey’s head, honcho Tim Oliver to spend another shed-load of our money on becoming Surrey’s Mayor. Nothing our Jeremy and Aunty Angie would like more than to see the demise of Lib Dem-led Waverley Borough Council and all who sail in her.

Judging by the faces of his colleagues yesterday, Hunt’s package went down like a bag of sick. We have never seen gloomier faces following an Autumn budget. Back in the boondocks of his wealthy SW Surrey constituency, he can be proud of the fact that his constituents are falling over each other to grab the discounted items on supermarket shelves or rock up to Waverley’s ever-growing Foodbanks.

Now things can only worsen because our sanctimonious MP  produced a fiscal statement the likes of which we have never seen or ever want to see. Taxes are up and spending down, predicting higher unemployment and lower living standards. And there they were on the front bench slapping him on the back for his achievements, whilst most of his Surrey constituents wanted to slap him in the face. Is this our reward for working throughout Covid, even when we were still sick? Watching our nurses drop to their knees while their families bought PPE in Boots the Chemist to keep them safe, only to hear that billions of pounds of PPE have been sold for a song this week. 

Hunt’s prospects are looking very fragile as the level of anger among his constituents is palpable, judging by the comments we have heard from our followers. And it is still early days; some of the slash and burn hasn’t hit home yet, even though we live in one of the least deprived areas of the country- but it soon will. 

Hunt’s 9,000 majority looked comfortable enough a few years back – not looking quite so good now, though. It might have helped if he hadn’t seemed so chuffed yesterday when he sat down after sucking away all hope and aspiration for working people like us and many others across the country.