OPINION - The Standard View: Jeremy Hunt — the Blue Wall's defender-in-chief
All 650 parliamentary constituencies are worth the same, but some hold a particular value to parties. For Labour, Sir Keir Starmer is determined to win back seats in Scotland and the Red Wall. For Rishi Sunak, focus has long been on retaining the Blue Wall — seats in southern England that in some cases have been Conservative-held for decades.
In an exclusive interview with the Evening Standard, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, standing in the new constituency of Godalming and Ash in Surrey, has vowed that the Tories intend to “defend the Blue Wall brick by brick” while acknowledging his own seat is on a “knife edge”.
The Tory campaign has had a rocky start, with leaked emails, torrential downpours and yet more MPs standing down. But Hunt is typically upbeat and keen to have a go at Labour, branding its railways renationalisation plan a “phenomenal waste of money”.
For understandable reasons, no politician wants to experience their generation’s “Portillo moment”, when the then-defence secretary famously lost his seemingly safe seat of Enfield Southgate at the 1997 election. What is less well remembered is the graciousness with which Portillo accepted his defeat, his comeback to politics and his hugely successful broadcasting career. There are worse moments to have.
Stop this violence
A child and three adults were shot last night in an apparent “drive-by” attack at a restaurant in Hackney. The child remains in a serious condition while further details of the other victims’ conditions are unclear. No arrests have yet been made. Kingsland Road in Dalston is no quiet side street. Packed with shops, bars and restaurants as well as people of all ages, it is a lively area.
Incidents such as these are not only tragic and deeply shocking, they add to the impression of lawlessness in the capital. Violent crime is a scourge and combating it remains the Mayor’s biggest challenge. While not all crime is rising, knife crime in London increased by 20 per cent last year and is significantly up on 2016, when Sadiq Khan first came to office. From more officers on the streets to the intelligence-led use of stop and search, no stone can be left unturned to rid our city of this violence.
Creative capital
There has never been a better time to be creative in the capital. From fashion to film and television to the digital arts, the creative industries are booming and tapping into the endless reserves of local talent.
If you are a young person looking for a creative career, join us at the Evening Standard’s free Step Up Expo on June 28-29 at London Olympia. For more information, visit stepupexpo.co.uk
