By Jason Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter

Few will have missed the news that prime minister Rishi Sunak has set the ball rolling on a nationwide campaign after calling a general election for July 4. Here's what we know so far about candidates standing in the Southampton constituencies, and how you voted in the last general election.

 

Mr Sunak made the announcement outside No 10 Downing Street in the pouring rain on Wednesday evening.

The vote to determine the next set of MPs will take place just two months after local elections for Southampton City Council, and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight police and crime commissioner (PCC).

Labour maintained a strong control of the council, despite losing one seat overall, while the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats both gained a single seat.

Conservative Donna Jones was re-elected to serve a second term as PCC.

Two Conservative MPs and one Labour currently represent the three parliamentary constituencies which cover the Southampton area.

Conservative MP Royston Smith is not seeking re-election in Southampton Itchen. He won the seat three times in a row since 2015. This included a slender victory by just 31 votes with a 0.07 per cent majority over Labour seven years ago.

London councillor Sidney Yankson has been selected as the Conservative candidate for Southampton Itchen.

Similarly, Labour MP Alan Whitehead is standing down in Southampton Test after holding the seat continually since 1997. His majority over the seven elections he won ranged from 5.5 per cent in 2010 to 27 per cent in 2001. He won the seat five years ago by 6,213 votes and a 13.8 per cent majority.

Former city council leader Satvir Kaur is Labour’s candidate to succeed Mr Whitehead.

Conservative Caroline Nokes has been the MP for Romsey and Southampton North since it was created as a constituency in 2010 through an expansion of the Romsey constituency. The former minister will be seeking re-election in July.

Ms Nokes claimed victory in 2019 with a 21.1 per cent majority and 10,872 votes more than her nearest competitor. In 2015 and 2017 she secured majorities larger than 35 per cent.
Who is standing for election in Southampton’s constituencies?

Not all of the parliamentary candidates for the three constituencies have been announced yet.

Confirmed candidates as of the morning of Thursday, May 23, are:

Southampton Itchen

Alexander Culley – Reform UK

Darren Paffey – Labour

Sidney Yankson – Conservative

Southampton Test

John Edwards – Reform UK

Thomas Gravatt – Liberal Democrats

Satvir Kaur – Labour

Romsey and Southampton North

Geoff Cooper – Liberal Democrats

Sahrae Cunio – Workers Party

Christie Lambert – Labour

Caroline Nokes – Conservative

Connor Shaw – Green

Harry Sheffield – Reform UK

How did people vote in the last general election?

Southampton Itchen

Royston Smith (Con) 23,952 (50.5%)

Simon Letts (Lab) 19,454 (41.0%)

Liz Jarvis (Lib Dem) 2,503 (5.3%)

Osman Sen-Chadun (Green) 1,040 (2.2%)

Kim Rose (Ukip) 472 (1%)

Majority: 4,498 (9.5%)

Turnout: 65.6%

Conservative hold

Southampton Test

Alan Whitehead (Lab) 22,256 (49.5%)

Steven Galton (Con) 16,043 (35.7%)

Joe Richards (Lib Dem) 3,449 (7.7%)

Philip Crook (Brexit) 1,591 (3.5%)

Katherine Barbour (Green) 1,433 (3.2%)

Kev Barry (Ind) 222 (0.5%)

Majority: 6,213 (13.8%)

Labour hold

Romsey and Southampton North

Caroline Nokes (Con) 27,862 (54.2%)

Craig Fletcher (Lib Dem) 16,990 (33.1%)

Claire Ransom (Lab) 5,898 (11.5%)

Geoff Bentley (Ukip) 640 (1.2%)

Majority: 10,872 (21.1%)

Turnout: 75.3%

Conservative hold

Photo by liam siegel on Unsplash