EVESHAM and Pershore residents will go to the polls on Thursday, December 12 after MPs rubber-stamped a General Election at the fourth time of asking.
Just 24 hours after initially snubbing the prospect of a pre-Christmas poll, MPs voted for the United Kingdom’s third General Election in a little over four years by a margin of 438 votes to 20 on Tuesday (October 29).
Labour’s bid to hold the election on Monday, December 9 was rejected by 315 votes to 295.
It means Vale voters will be asked to cast their ballots in the first December election in 96 years after the bill was approved by the House of Lords on Wednesday.
The last December vote on December 6, 1923 saw the Conservatives under Worcestershire’s own Stanley Baldwin, who then represented Bewdley, win the most seats. It ended in a hung parliament, however, thanks to the efforts of Labour’s Ramsay MacDonald and Herbert Asquith’s reunited Liberal Party.
It was the last General Election in which a third party, the Liberals, gained more than 100 seats or won more than 26 per cent of the vote.
Parliament is expected to be dissolved on Wednesday (November 6) for the campaign to begin in earnest with Harriett Baldwin MP and Nigel Huddleston MP bidding to the retain their seats in West Worcestershire and Mid Worcestershire respectively.
Speaking after the vote, Mrs Baldwin confirmed she has been selected as the Conservative candidate for the constituency and would launch her re-election campaign next week.
“The House of Commons has spoken and we must now hold a General Election to attempt to secure a clear majority and a Government which will pass a Brexit deal,” she said.
“It is not an ideal situation but I fear we risk a Parliament which cannot make decisions, cannot pass legislation and cannot deliver on the result of the 2016 Referendum.
“I will be putting my case for re-election on the streets and lanes of West Worcestershire over the next six weeks and I hope that I will be re-elected on December 12, as part of a majority Conservative Government.”
Mr Huddleston highlighted the coming campaign would be his third General Election, despite only being elected as an MP in May 2015.
“It’s very unusual and I am aware in the country there isn’t great enthusiasm for another election, particularly in the middle of winter,” he said.
“We have to have the election as Parliament has come to an impasse on the issue of Brexit in particular. The Government has not got a majority and too many MPs were saying one thing and not following through when it came to the votes.”
