Toby Melville/PA
The Liberal Democrats are odds-on to take Jeremy Hunt’s seat of Godalming and Ash at the General Election, according to the bookmakers.
Ed Davey unveiled the party’s manifesto today (10/6), putting health and care at the centre of their policy platform as they approach the July 4th date.
The manifesto, titled For A Fair Deal, sets out that the Lib Dems would fund a £9.4 billion package for the NHS and social care in England by increasing taxes for banks and closing loopholes used by the super-rich.
Speaking at its launch in central London on Monday, Sir Ed said: “Caring has been in the shadows for too long, and I’m proud that, as a party, we have brought it into the light.
Pointing to his own experiences as a carer, he said: “The truth is, unless we properly value care, unless we properly support carers, we will never be able to fix the crisis in our NHS or get our economy back on track.
“And that’s why I’m so proud the Liberal Democrats have put health and care at the heart of our campaign in this General Election, and at the heart of our manifesto too.”
According to Star Sports, the Lib Dems are in pole position at 8/13 for the Godalming and Ash seat which is currently held by Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, and has been for blue for over 40 years.
Davey’s party also lead the market to win seats in Chichester (6/4), Esher and Walton (1/4) and Tunbridge Wells (8/15) ahead of the General Election on July 4th.
William Kedjanyi, Political Betting Analyst at Star Sports, said: “The Conservatives have held the Godalming and Ash seat (formerly South West Surrey) for over 40 years since its creation in 1983, and ahead of this year’s election on July 4th, the Lib Dems are odds-on to take it off them.
“The Lib Dems and candidate Paul Follows are at 8/13 to swipe the Godalming and Ash seat from the hands of current Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt who’s a close second in the betting at 6/5.
“Not only do they lead the running in Godalming, but the Lib Dems are also heavy favourites at 1/4 to pick up a win in Esher and Walton, with good chances in both Chichester (6/4) and Tunbridge Wells (8/15) come July 4th.”
Godalming and Ash:
| Liberal Democrats | 8/13 |
| Conservatives (Jeremy Hunt) | 6/5 |
| Labour | 20/1 |
| Reform UK | 66/1 |
| Greens | 200/1 |
Chichester:
| Liberal Democrats | 6/4 |
| Labour | 13/8 |
| Conservatives (Gillian Keegan) | 2/1 |
| Reform UK | 100/1 |
| Greens | 200/1 |
Esher and Walton:
| Liberal Democrats | 1/4 |
| Conservatives | 11/4 |
| Labour | 18/1 |
| Reform UK | 66/1 |
| Greens | 200/1 |
Tunbridge Wells:
| Liberal Democrats | 8/15 |
| Conservatives | 6/4 |
| Labour | 14/1 |
| Reform UK | 100/1 |
| Greens | 200/1 |
Related: Lib Dems pledges to take UK back into EU single market
