According to official records, Jeremy Hunt has been compelled to donate over £100,000 from his personal funds to his local Conservative party in order to improve his prospects of winning re-election. This comes as concerns have been raised that he may not retain his seat.
Hunt’s Godalming and Ash constituency is a target seat for the Liberal Democrats, and a Survation poll projects that he is on course to become the first chancellor in modern times to lose at a general election.
According to records from the Electoral Commission, he has donated a total of £105,261 to the Conservative association in South-west Surrey in the past five years.
The amount that the chancellor contributed personally to the association during the terms of the last three Conservative prime ministers is significantly different from the £4,447 he donated while Theresa May and David Cameron were in power.
The latest financial report for Hunt’s local organization has noted that its financial standing is not up to par. A memo indicated that members will see an increase in their yearly dues.
The chancellors association experienced a decrease of nearly 50% in donations during 2021. In 2021, South West Surrey received a donation amount of only £42,693, a decline from the previous year’s total of over £80,000.
According to a source within the Labour party, this situation highlights the current state of the Conservative party. It appears that the Chancellor is more focused on extending his own political tenure by writing personal checks, rather than addressing the damage his government has caused to the economy.
“And while the chancellor discusses cracking down on wasteful spending, perhaps he should examine his own expenditure as well.”
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On Sunday, Hunt expressed his desire to become chancellor following the election. However, the results of the poll in his district indicate that the Lib Dems are leading with 35% of the vote, followed by the Tories with 29%, and Labour with 22%. The top concern among local voters when asked about determining factors for their vote was health and the NHS, with only 4% citing tax as a significant issue.
Daisy Cooper, the vice president of the Liberal Democrats, stated: “It’s not surprising that Jeremy Hunt is close to losing his seat, as citizens in Surrey are outraged that they are unable to schedule appointments with their GPs, their hospitals have been neglected, and water companies continue to contaminate their rivers.”
“In the area where the chancellor resides, there has been a sudden increase in requests for food assistance due to his government’s inability to manage the issue of rising living costs. In Surrey, the Liberal Democrats are motivated to remove Conservative MPs who have neglected to consider the needs of the people.”
Source: theguardian.com
