‘I don’t trust the Tories!’ Boris faces imminent election blow as angry voters turn on PM

Tiverton by-election: Boris Johnson warned of ‘game over’

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Lifelong Tory Alison Gordon was one of many residents of Tiverton and Honiton to sing the praises of ex-Army Major Richard Foord, who is looking to snatch the seat in tomorrow’s by-election. The contest was triggered by the resignation of the erstwhile MP, Neil Parish, after he was caught out looking at pornography in Parliament. Mr Parish had represented the constituency since 2010, and in 2019 was re-elected with a stonking 60 percent of the vote.

If the Liberal Democrats win on Thursday, it would represent one of the biggest swings in British electoral history and a blow to the Prime Minister.

Liberal Democrat internal polling a week before the end of the race put them behind the Tories by just two percent. That it’s such a close-run thing is in no small part due to the popularity of Mr Foord, who went down as well on the Brooklands industrial estate as at Tiverton Castle.

David Trowbridge, a laboratory manager, affectionately referred to him as “the Major from Uffculme, a good local bloke” and pledged his vote to him despite previously voting Conservative. Will Manning, a technician and ordinarily a Tory voter, told Express.co.uk he would “probably be voting Lib
Dem”. Both men cited sleaze as prompting their defections. Mr Trowbridge added: “I don’t trust the Conservative Party.”

The Conservatives are mounting a full-blooded defence. Conservative Party Councillor for Mid-Devon, Richard Chesterton, told Express.co.uk his team was “fighting for every vote” and knocking on some doors two or three times. He was keen to talk up the local credentials of his candidate, Helen Hurford, a former head teacher.

Their campaign was focused on local issues – Devon County Council’s Tory-led bid for a new Highschool in Tiverton and Hurford’s supportive address to the National Farmers Union were raised.

Asked if the Conservatives will hold the seat, Mr Chesterton replied: “Of course!”

Liberal Democrat County Councillor for Taunton East, Simon Coles, said Tiverton and Honiton residents liked that Mr Foord had “Served the Crown”, a view echoed by his council colleague Habib Farbahi.

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Mr Coles mentioned the resignation of the PM’s ethics advisor, Lord Geidt, as compounding the sense of sleaze around the Tories which is seeing voters make the switch. Mr Farbahi also said: “People say they’re ready for change, they’ve been let down by the Tories and say they’ll give Richard a chance.”

Quizzed on whether the Liberals are buoyed by a secret pact with Labour, Mr Coles refuted the suggestion and said local people were telling them they’d been canvassed by the Labour party.

A local farmer was less gloomy about the Conservative’s prospects: “They’ll definitely win, it’s one of the biggest Conservative majorities in the country.” The farmer, who didn’t want to be named, planned to vote for Helen Hurford, who he said was, “well known and well-liked”.

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Angus Gordon, 80, a lifelong Liberal, conceded that the disgraced Parish was a good MP, a sentiment offered unprompted by many residents.

With Tiverton High School banning skirts in a bid to become more gender-neutral, Express.co.uk asked him if he has any qualms with the Lib Dem support for “woke” causes. He responded: “It doesn’t bother me, I have an interest in the arts, I’m happy and familiar with all that.”

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