Candidates across south west London are hitting the campaign trail on the first full day of the general election campaign.
Following parliament’s backing for a general election on June 8, MPs and their challengers have begun marshaling votes for their campaigns.
Numerous seats across south west London could prove critical in the election.
The Liberal Democrats are looking to take back a band of territory across outer London after a disastrous result in 2015 saw them lose three of their four constituencies in the area to the Conservatives.
Lib Dem leader Tim Farron was in Richmond Park yesterday to support MP Sarah Olney in her bid to keep the seat she took from Zac Goldsmith in a by-election last year, while former cabinet minister Vince Cable will attempt to win back Twickenham from Conservatie Tania Mathias.
Meanwhile Croydon Central MP Gavin Barwell was on the streets this morning looking to secure his seat, which he won in 2015 with a wafer-thin majority of 165.
Huge thanks to the team, already out talking to residents about how vitally important this election is for #Croydon! #BackBarwell2017 pic.twitter.com/4urgcd52if
— Gavin Barwell MP (@GavinBarwellMP) April 19, 2017
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also visited Croydon in his first campaign stop yesterday afternoon.
Mr Corbyn said: “I’m delighted to start the campaign in London, right here in Croydon – I’ll be here again when we win Croydon Central and we have a Labour MP here to deliver for the people of Croydon.”
Streatham MP Chuka Umunna told Good Morning Britain he expected the election to be tough for Labour, with current polls putting the Conservatives way ahead of the party, but the one-time Labour leadership hopeful believes voters will punish the Government on .
Though Mr Umunna defends a healthy majority, neighbouring MP Kate Hoey faces a stiff challenge from the Liberal Democrat George Turner, who hopes to capitalise on Ms Hoey’s role in the Brexit campaign to turn Vauxhall gold.
The battle is on. Vauxhall residents now have a choice between Brexit Kate and a party that represents an open, tolerant and united country https://t.co/c3uFxR4vuS
— George Turner (@georgenturner) April 20, 2017
78% of Ms Hoey’s constituents voted to remain in the EU and her local Labour Party disassociated itself from her earlier this year over comments she made about the UK’s exit from the EU.
