Grant Shapps could become one of the most high-profile Conservative Party MPs to lose his seat when the next General Election is held. The Defence Secretary, who has occupied several ministerial positions in recent years, is now staring down the barrel.
Despite his public presence, it seems constituents in the Welwyn Hatfield region aren’t so keen on their elected representative. Shapps stormed to the seat in 2019, but public opinion is turning against both him and the Tories.
Data from the UK Polling Report has revealed that the Labour candidate in the constituency – Andrew Levin – is on course to oust him when the ballot boxes open. In fact, he’s currently enjoying a lead of more than nine percentage points against his opponent.
Should these numbers hold true until the next election, Grant Shapps would see his share of the vote plummet by 16%, with Labour and Levin enjoying a 14% boost. Though neither candidate is predicted to reach 50%, a clear divide is now opening up.
It’s perhaps little wonder that Rishi Sunak is delaying the announcement of a date for the General Election, which could take place as late as January 2025. However, it remains likely that Britain will go to the polls at some point in 2024.
The last 14 years of Tory rule have left millions of voters disenfranchised, and some polls have the governing party on course to receive less than 20% of votes across the country. As it stands, they are facing a wipe-out of existential proportions.
A number of high-profile MPs, including Theresa May, have announced that they intend to stand down before a vote is cast. Grant Shapps is not one of them – but he could well be pushed before he makes any decision to jump.
