For the first time, Liberal Democrats are predicted to win slightly more seats than the Tories.
If the recent Cranleigh Hustings election lineup was anything to go by, then the Liberal Democrat candidate Paul Follows could boost the party’s ambition to become the official opposition.
The controversial event hosted by the Cranleigh Chamber of Commerce at £10 per head received a lacklustre response from the considerable catchment area of Cranleigh New Town. The event was heavily populated with Tory heavyweights, including Mark Sculley, Chairman of Cranleigh Parish Council, who was almost drooling as he licked the boots of his hero, Jeremy Hunt.
The lineup vying for the Godalming & Ash seat, which comprises part of the old South West Surrey constituency, includes Jeremy Hunt, who is looking to retain his place in parliament.
This seat is also forecast to be highly competitive, with YouGov, Election Calculus, and Election Maps projecting narrow Lib Dem victories.
Pictured: Jeremy Hunt, Con (Former SW Surrey) MP and former Chancellor of The Exchequer; Paul Follows, Lib Dem; James Walsh, Lab; Graham Drage, Reform; Ruby Tucker, Green (not pictured) represented by Steve Williams;
Harriet Williams, Women’s Equality.
Sadly, the Chamber didn’t invite the Waverley Web, but thankfully, the man who continuously speaks for Cranleigh was invited. Did he stump up his tenner? Chat Controller Martin Bamford benefited his Twitter followers with his opinion of the outcome aided by his vast political knowledge of national and international affairs.
However, others who contacted the WW had a slightly more jaundiced view of Hunt’s performance and claimed Paul Follows came out on top, particularly when responding to a resident’s question about sewage pollution and flooding in the eastern village’s homes and streams—a subject ignored by the other parties until recently, but one which the Lib Dems have been banging on about for years!
Judging by his Tweets, even the happy snapper isn’t that convinced of his voting intentions!!!
We cannot comment on proceedings which we didn’t attend. However, we understand Jeremy Hunt looked worn out and nervous despite receiving abundant encouragement from his bag carrier and Election Campaign Manager Jane Austin as she gesticulated and texted from her front-row seat. Why wasn’t the prospective parliamentary candidate meeting her voters in Liverpool, we wonder? She no doubt wanted the opportunity to heckle Greens representative Steve Williams, who has infuriated Cranleigh by asking everyone to vote tactically and send the Lib Dem to Westminster.
Wannabe MP Cllr Jane Austin tells a good story. But is it true?
Conservatives have gained 1pc in the polls, and Reform has lost 3pc. Labour’s lead over the Conservatives is now 19pc. For the first time, the Liberal Democrats are predicted to win slightly more seats than the Conservatives.
Once a stronghold for top Conservative politicians, Surrey faces significant changes ahead of the July 4 Election. Several high-profile Tories, including Michael Gove, Kwasi Kwarteng, and Dominic Raab, have announced they won’t run again. This leaves Chancellor Jeremy Hunt as the last senior Conservative standing in the area.
All eyes are now on the new Godalming and Ash constituency, which replaces Hunt’s long-held Southwest Surrey seat. Recent polls show a tight race between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, with Hunt’s historically safe seat now too close to call.
Have the Green Candidates gone missing in Action?
You haven’t pictured her on this post and this is the second time (at least) that Steve Williams has had to represent a Green candidate at Hustings (our Green candidate didn’t bother to show up in Farnham either)
The WW was not present at the husting, we were covering another event in Farnham. However, we understand that Steve Williams told the audience that the Green candidate was concentrating her energies on areas where the Greens had a good chance of capturing the seat. He also promoted the Liberal Democrat. In other words tactical voting.
I suspect both are simply paper candidates put in front of the electorate to satisfy the Green Party national big-wigs. Surely Cllr Williams will doing all he can to help his good buddy Cllr Follows get elected. Afterall their tactical voting pact in the 2023 Local Elections seemed to work well for the LibDems (but not really for the Greens as Cllr Williams is now the sole Green at Waverley)
It is a pity the Waverley BC Local Planning Authority hasn’t considered sewage pollution when approving major developments in Farnham, such as the 320 dwelling development at Coxbridge. The LPA has also prevented Environmental Impact Assessments, which would have ensured decision takers understood a development’s environmental impact, its social consequences and ensured the residents of Farnham their democratic participation. Sewage river pollution is a national disgrace it defines the fatal flaws in a planning system that ignores increasing environmental distress and the vital necessity for affordable sustainable development.
We think you may find that Waverley `Planners continually raise concerns over water and sewage issues throughout the borough of Waverley, including here in Farnham. However, the statutory authorities ignore their concerns and continually comment on planning applications that they are able to service developments. It is quite clear to us all they they cannot. Until Government makes infrastructure a vital part of the planning system, problems over flooding lack of water, water neutrality and sewage issues will continue. Many do not realise that developers are now trucking out sewage. Welcome to Waverley 2024!
Paul Follows should run on his record at Waverley – he would surely stand no chance because he has presided over one disaster after another – his brainchild merger with Guildford has proved just how out of his depth he is!
Whatever ever happened to the Central Godalming Regeneration Project? Building on Crown Court Car Park, a car park which is the life blood of the town centre. Seems to be conveniently forgotten.
The former Conservative Administrations at both borough councils and at the county council have been perfect – haven’t they? This includes the Conservative administration that ran Woking for many years.
In that case, the current administration at Waverley should have learnt from other’s mistakes.
Of course it was a Conservative administration that gave us Brightwells Yard (East Street Regeneration Scheme) in Farnham. The lesson is that parties of all colours “interfere” with Town Centres at their peril. They all seem to think they know better and clearly don’t have the skill sets, so are out of their depth.
Does anybody know what ( if anything ) is happening with the council owned former shop premises in Godalming High Street?
We will do our best to find out David. WW
Thanks. I keep hearing about a restaurant but nothing seems to be happening. I’m not trying to raise any political issues. I would just like to know.