Sarah Wollaston, friend or foe?
Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at 14:00 Between now and the General Election on May 7 I'm highlighting a number of 'target seats', those where the candidate standing for re-election has supported anti-tobacco policies, and those where a leading candidate is an opponent of excessive lifestyle regulations and policies that infantilise us all. With a handful of exceptions, including this one, I'm focussing on marginal or semi-marginal seats.
#12 – Totnes (Devon)
Former GP Sarah Wollaston was the first person to be selected as a parliamentary candidate for a major British political party (the Conservatives) via an open primary. Fiercely independent (no bad thing), she was appointed chairman of the Health Select Committee in June 2014 whereupon she declared that the state has a "duty to intervene" to protect current and future generations from unhealthy habits threatening to shorten their lives. She is, needless to say, a strong supporter of plain packaging and other tobacco control policies. Totnes is effectively a battle between the Tories and Lib Dems and given Wollaston's high profile and independent streak it would be a big surprise if she didn't retain her seat.
2010 majority: 4,927 (10.3%)
Estimated number of smokers in Totnes: 13,591
Principal opponent: Liberal Democrat
Friend or foe: Foe
Target rating: Poor
*Based on 20% of the registered electorate in 2010
Note: Marginal seats have been defined as those with majorities of 10% or less that require a swing of 5% for the incumbent party to lose.
Reader Comments (1)
Foe, she'll hold her seat and Ukip,I think will come second hear. The Lib Dem's they have lost so much ground in the South-west now. And back in 2010 Labour only got 3538 votes.