By Ed Southgate
December 13 2019, 08.50
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Conservative MP Stephen Hammond praised his family as the ‘bedrock of everything’ he does after narrowly beating the Liberal Democrats in his Wimbledon seat.
Mr Hammond said following his re-election: “My family are the bedrock of everything I do. My wife and I work together – she was in Parliament before I became an MP. My daughter is hugely supportive of what I do.
“My sister always comes and helps – I always get this great sense of support. People say to me on the doorstep, whether they voted for me or not, that they recognise I am someone who tries to do the best for the local community and it’s been deeply humbling to hear that from people.”
In his victory speech he thanked his daughter Alice and wife Sally for their ‘unfailing support’.
Looking to the family-orientated festive season, Mr Hammond said he intends to spend the Christmas holidays with his family and friends.
He said the festivities will “probably be slightly quieter this year. I think we are going to need a rest after this.”
His new year’s resolution will politically be to continue representing his constituents as best as he can, while personally he wants to keep the weight off after losing 13 pounds from walking across Wimbledon during his election campaign.
Mr Hammond’s Liberal Democrat opponent Paul Kohler, who missed out on winning the seat by 628 votes, said his resolution is “to have a good rest before I re-energise and do politics again.”
The close result came following a period of unease among the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat camps as the bundles went to be recounted.
There were scenes of tears among Liberal Democrat supporters when it was announced they had failed to take the seat, which would have seen Mr Kohler be the party’s first ever Wimbledon Member of Parliament.
Despite pre-election polls suggesting the Tories would be given a run for their money by the Liberal Democrats, the final exit poll put the race between Mr Hammond with Labour’s Jackie Schneider.
The Conservatives were given a 49% chance of holding the seat against Labour’s 47% chance of gaining it. The Liberal Democrats were said to have just a 4% chance of taking the constituency.
