By now, if you live in the Godalming & Ash constituency, which includes Cranleigh and the eastern villages, you will have received dozens of letters from your wannabe MP, Jeremy Hunt. A whole spate of them before the election was announced
Tonight, Thursday, he will be in Cranleigh with other MP hopefuls.
The Great Election Debate in Cranleigh
Jeremy was on a roll because he knew the date of the next election – didn’t he?
So perhaps it is time that the real Jeremy `Hunt stood forward.
The Real Jeremy Hunt
“He’s not as bad as some of the others.“
During the recent council by-election, canvassers were heard speaking to local people on doorsteps, suggesting that “maybe he isn’t that bad —not when you look at others in the Conservative Party.” But let’s face it, the bar is relatively low.
So, let’s examine this closer. He talks the talk, but it’s what he does that matters. So, let’s look at his voting record. After all, that’s how we see what he’s really like as an MP.
You can read here about his record on the issues that may matter to voters in Godalming and Ash:
Jeremy Hunt Eco Warrior & The Case Of The Oiled Palms
Jeremy Hunt has held three of the four great Offices of State and is the longest-serving Secretary of State for Health. Ask junior doctors how they rate his record. Oops! You can’t because most have left the country. Today, they are on strike!
He also added eco-warrior to the list.
When speaking against UCOG’s proposed drilling in Dunsfold, he said,
“I am bitterly disappointed to learn that the Court of Appeal has today refused permission for any further appeal against the UKOG planning consent for the Loxley gas well outside Dunsfold.”
He also said:
“It is extraordinary after COP26 in Glasgow that we are even thinking about drilling for oil and gas in this area. And you can see, by the huge number of objectors representing all the local political parties, that we are completely united in our opposition.
The scheme by UK Oil & Gas (UKOG) will take the country in “exactly the wrong direction”.
However, Jeremy Hunt’s claims are not consistent with his actions. Let’s look at his record:
Jeremy Hunt’s voting record: The 2024 Oil & Gas Exploration Bill
The government’s Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill passed its second reading on January 22, 2024, with 293 votes to 211 against. This bill commits the government to issuing dozens of licences to explore for oil both on and offshore.
So he backed protestors but did a volte-face and voted with the Liz Truss Government to lift the ban on oil and gas exploration nationwide. The site is near his country pile at Mares Pond, near Dunsfold.
If Jeremy Hunt’s actions matched his words, he’d have voted against it. But no, he joined ranks with all other Conservatives, not one of whom voted against it.
UK Oil & Gas (UKOG) has now earmarked the land south of Dunsfold Road and east of High Loxley Road as a drilling site.
However, could Waverley Borough Council hold the vital key to UKOG’s and landowner Ashley Ward’s cunning plans?
‘Your Waverley’ is responsible for the common land that UKOG would need to cross to start drilling on land off Pratts Corner, and it has warned that it will not allow site vehicles to cross common land.
Its leader, Paul Follows, says
“If the application is approved the council is prepared to fight to protect the common land verges at Dunsfold.”
He said Waverley would install cameras at the junction and expected local people to monitor traffic to the site. He certainly has the residents of Dunsfold and Hascombe behind him. Will Hunt, a resident of Hascombe, back him?
I have received more leaflets and other electoral information from the Liberal Democrat’s party than any other party. The vast majority of which is via Royal Mail from the Liberal Democrat’s Party HQ. No I am not a member of the Lib Dem or any of the other candidates. In fact the very high amount received from the Lib Dem’s in comparison to the limited amount from other candidates has put one member of my household off from voting for the Liberal Democrat’s candidate. Yes candidates information is essential but there is no need to bombard residents with 5 or 6 leaflets a week (some by hand from the local team vast majority via Royal Mail from the Lib Dem HQ). I have in the past been involved in local elections where I used to live and the biggest complaint was the amount of leaflets being delivered by some Candidates/Political parties.
WW wholeheartedly agrees. Far too many leaflets and letters coming from everywhere. Waste of paper, waste of manpower.
Electioneering comments by the spider. Facts
Jeremy Hunt didn’t know date of election. Sunak has been criticised for getting the King to agree and not consulting cabinet.
He has been a very effective MP locally helping many.
He lives about 2 miles from the UKOG site which cannot be compared to an off shore one providing vital oil and gas to UK and saving the carbon emissions from shipping it in.
Yes as Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was very unpopular with the Junior doctors who he wanted to work weekends and even then were demanding huge pay rises. But he got a big increase in funding for NHS .
He’s done a widely praised job as foreign secretary and an excellent job as Chancellor.
E
If he didn’t know the date of the election – he must be the only one close to the PM who didn’t. However, if everyone in the district feels he has done a great job, then they will vote or him.
Must agree with the other comments. In all my 70 + years I have never known such an active local mp as Jeremy and he has my vote!
The real Jeremy Hunt will vote exactly as he is told to by whichever leader his party has at the time, he is driven by self interest and the protection of his role in the party, therefore his constituents interests will always come in a poor second place to his ambition.
Agreed. There is “no real Jeremy Hunt”- he is merely a mirror image of his Party Leader and carries out their wishes to the letter