On the retreat: Chris Philp has started describing himself as ‘an active local MP’
Inside Croydon’s long-dormant mole inside Croydon Tories’ headquarters in Purley (it’s been an especially long winter, even for small furry creatures that don’t usually hibernate) reports having been rudely awoken by the sound of property investment multi-millionaire Chris Philp running around the house shouting, “Don’t panic! Don’t panic!”
Our mole reckons that the sudden flurry of activity, mainly Philp stamping his feet like a spoilt four-year-old, occurred shortly after yesterday’s edition of the Evening Boris dropped on the doormat, with headline polling figures predicting a near-complete wipeout of Conservative MPs in London – including in previously true-blue Croydon South.
Thing is, this is the second piece of polling data in short order that has predicted a “near-death experience” for Conservatives in the capital.
Or as the newspaper report put it, “The YouGov survey showed the Conservatives haemorrhaging more than a dozen seats to Labour and the Liberal Democrats”, if the long-needed General Election was held today.
According to the newspaper report, “The Tories face losing all their London seats apart from five in a general election disaster for Rishi Sunak.”
Even London minister Greg Hands would lose his Chelsea and Fulham seat, one of the last redoubts of Conservativism in central London.
In outer London, the Tories would hang on to five seats, including Ted Heath’s old manor of Old Bexley and Sidcup, as well as Sutton and Cheam, where Paul Scully is stepping down as MP at the election, but the local LibDems continue to squabble over who should be their candidate to challenge his Tory successor.
This would still be a historic low for the Conservatives.
Painting the town red: how YouGov is predicting a Tory wipeout in London, including Croydon, at the next election
The Tories have always held Croydon South since the current constituency was first contested 50 years ago.
YouGov’s figures yesterday are marginally better for the Tories, with 155 seats facing a massive Starmer-led Labour majority in the House of Commons. But those Conservative MPs would not include Philp.
YouGov’s figures show Tories and Labour locked on 36% of the vote each in Croydon South, with the presumption that that could be enough come polling day for Labour’s Ben Taylor to actually win an election for once…
Philp has been the MP for Croydon South since 2015, during which time he has not held regular constituency surgeries (residents have to “book” an appointment), while he has fronted local campaigns against social housing in the Purley “Skyscraper” but in favour of a high-cost elderly housing scheme in the even bigger Purley Old Folks’ Home.
All the while, Philp has been pursuing his career at Westminster as an ever-willing media punchbag on behalf of criminals such as Boris Johnson and idiots like Liz Truss.
Philp was Chief Secretary to the Treasury when Kamikwasi Kwarteng crashed the economy with his Trussonomics Budget in 2022. Since then, anyone with a mortgage in Philp’s constituency will have seen their monthly payments almost double, while also contending with resulting 11% Cost of Living Crisis inflation.
Philp’s majority at the General Election in 2019 was 12,000, but that was when he enjoyed 52% of the vote as he backed Boris to “Get Brexit done”. Before the referendum, Philp had opposed the UK leaving the EU, but changed his position, conveniently, when ministerial jobs were at stake. Five years later, and the public have realised that they’ve been had.
Re-drawing the map: YouGov’s predictions are a stark warning to the Conservatives
In his latest email to constituents, Philp has taken to describing himself as “An active local MP”, which most would regard as a bit of a stretch, and claiming that he is “Working hard for Croydon South”.
Yesterday’s YouGov survey shows that the LibDems, as part of a parliamentary comeback that would see them have 49 seats, would pick up Wimbledon, as well as regaining Carshalton and Wallington.
The disclosure that former Conservative MP and Labour councillor, Andrew Pelling, is to run for that party in Croydon East does not appear to have much impact: the LibDems are slated to finish only fifth there, according to YouGov.
Croydon East, Croydon West and Streatham and Croydon North are all expected to return Labour MPs. Croydon South would complete the set, and force Philp to return to his career as a multi-millionaire property developer.
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