General election: Battle rages in South Norfolk

The election campaign is heating up in South Norfolk, a traditionally safe Conservative constituency.

The district has not had a candidate from another party elected since the end of World War II.

With former councillor Richard Bacon retiring, Labour, the Greens, Reform, Liberal Democrats, independents and the Social Democrats are all vying for the seat.

But they all face competition from a Conservative Party that is new to the party for the first time in 23 years.

Poppy Simister-Thomas is standing for the Conservatives in South Norfolk.

The 34-year-old hopes to persuade voters to give the Conservatives a fresh start in the constituency by focusing on affordable housing, access to NHS services and quality jobs.

“The big thing that’s going to happen is disillusionment,” she said.

“I think a lot of people are tired of politics and at this point I’m not speaking to people who are excited and motivated to vote.

“The Conservative government has put forward a lot of really exciting policies that people will be happy with, but they need to make sure people understand that.”

“This is an opportunity to look to the future and show something fresh and exciting. And I think it’s been really well received.”

Labour has not won South Norfolk since 1945, but its candidate Ben Goldsborough said voters wanted change.

Mr Goldsborough, 33, who works for an ethical communications company, said access to GP services and dentistry was a major issue in his neighbourhood.

“There’s a lack of hope at the moment and it’s really heartbreaking every door I go to because people look around and the services just aren’t there anymore,” he said.

“We know there are enormous problems and we will work day and night to solve them, but there is no magic wand.

“This is a long process of unravelling 14 years of Conservative failure and I promise you that if we are fortunate enough to be asked to serve you, we will do just that.”

The Green Party has won seats on County Council and South Norfolk Council in two recent by-elections and is hoping to maintain its momentum in the area.

Their candidate, Professor Catherine Rowett, 67, a former Green Party MEP for East of England, says the Greens’ policies are getting attention.

“I think a lot of people know that the Green Party has a national message of standing up for real people with real hope and real change,” she said.

“There is a sense that what Labour is proposing is not that different from what the Conservatives have proposed, and there is a strong sense that the Conservatives have completely let us down.”

Chris Harrison, 54, a technology consultant, is standing for Reform in South Norfolk and said the party’s stance on immigration and scrapping net zero was resonating with voters.

“There is a lot of support for the reforms,” ​​he said. “I get hundreds of emails every day pledging their support, and many people are saying they are leaving the Conservative Party.”

“The party needs to translate those things into actual votes, which I am well aware will not be easy.

“I think what reformers need to do is become a credible opposition to whatever happens next, and then we’ll see that support translate into votes.”

Public relations consultant Chris Brown, 55, is standing for the seat as a Liberal Democrat candidate.

He hopes to garner support from voters who want a new approach.

“This time, more than ever, I think there are a lot of former Conservative supporters who don’t want to vote Conservative but don’t know what to vote for and are totally divided,” he said.

“And there’s going to be a lot of changes this time around and we’ll see how it all plays out.”

Independent candidate Paco Davila is also running in the constituency, as is Jason Maguire of the Social Democrats.

The full list of nominees can be found here.