Former Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Vince Cable visited Wokingham Borough today to support Clive Jones, the Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate, in his campaign to become an MP. This visit coincides with a significant surge in Lib Dem popularity, as reflected in various polls, including the latest YouGov Poll.
During his visit to the Wokingham Lib Dem HQ, Sir Vince Cable shared his thoughts on the campaign’s progress. He stated,
“Well, it’s going extremely well. We set off with the hope that we would get maybe thirty seats and overtake the Scottish nationalists to reclaim our rightful place as the third party in Parliament. But now we’re receiving reports that our support is exceptionally strong in our target seats. So, we may do much better than that.”
Sir Vince Cable further mentioned receiving reports that exceeded his expectations: “There are some outlandish stories coming in, not from us, but from other newspapers. We could conceivably overtake the Tories in terms of the number of MPs. I don’t believe that myself, but it reflects a degree of optimism and positive thinking that we’re now getting in the party.”
When asked about the purpose of his visit, Sir Vince Cable said, “I’m here to support Clive Jones, a really excellent candidate in a seat that we have a very good chance of winning. Wokingham is a place where many people are disillusioned with the Tory government after the Johnson & Truss disasters. They want change. In some parts of the country, they’ll go Labour, but this is an area where Lib Dems are very strong. We came a good second last time. If people want to use their votes effectively, they will support the Lib Dems. So that’s why I’m here; we have a very good chance, but I want to make sure we don’t miss out.”
According to YouGov’s latest general election MRP model, the Liberal Democrats are projected to win a record high of 67 seats—more than six times their 2019 tally and surpassing their 2005 record of 62 seats. Key Tory ministers who could lose their seats to the Liberal Democrats include:
- Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor (Godalming and Ash)
- Alex Chalk, Justice Secretary (Cheltenham)
- Michelle Donelan, Science Secretary (Chippenham)
- Gillian Keegan, Education Secretary (Chichester)
- Michael Tomlinson, Minister of State for Countering Illegal Migration (Mid Dorset and North Poole)
The Lib Dems also appear likely to take Theresa May’s vacated seat of Maidenhead, Dominic Raab’s former seat of Esher and Walton, and the seat of resigning MP and Housing Secretary Michael Gove in Surrey Heath.
For more detailed poll data, visit YouGov.
Sir John Vincent Cable, born on May 9, 1943, led the Liberal Democrats from 2017 to 2019. He served as the MP for Twickenham from 1997 to 2015 and again from 2017 to 2019. Additionally, he was the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills from 2010 to 2015.
Clive Jones has lived in the Wokingham area for over 40 years and is the former head of Wokingham Borough Council. He stepped down from the council in May 2024 to dedicate more time to his campaign to become Wokingham’s MP.
See video here