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“Lee Anderson!” When? I When we asked people in Sutton-in-Ashfield what they thought about the controversial MP and this week’s move to reform Britain, most people, if not the party, had positive things to say about the man. I expressed my opinion.
The enthusiastic response from Bridget mentioned above was typical. “He does so much for this town,” said the retiree, who was standing chatting and smoking a cigarette with a small group outside a charity shop.
“Have a problem? Call or email him and he’ll fix it for you. He won’t stick around like other politicians, he’ll sit with you in an indoor market and we’ll talk together. Eat food, drink drinks. He’s going to be the best prime minister we’ve ever had.” No one in her group disagrees.
So will she vote for Anderson now that he’s a reformer? Yes, Bridget will vote for him regardless of the color of his rosette. This is equally good considering he had already switched from Labor to the Conservative Party before his recent transfer, the third time in six years. Loyalty to a particular political party seems to be dying out locally.
The constituency of Ashfield, located in rural Nottinghamshire, is still grappling with the fallout from the decline of its once thriving mining industry, making it a highly unpredictable seat.
Until Anderson’s surprise victory in 2019, the Conservative Party had consistently elected Labor MPs in every general election since its founding in 1955.
Mr Anderson’s “defection” to the Reform Party this week comes after he was suspended as Conservative Party whip for comments suggesting “Islamists” had “taken control” of London Mayor Sadiq Khan. – likely to deal a blow to the local Conservative party’s hopes of retaining leadership. seat.
It was certainly a surprise to them. Nigel Moxon, chairman of the Ashfield and Mansfield Conservative Union, admits he only found out about the incident on the morning of the incident after a friend of his passed on the newspaper report.
Mr Moxon, speaking on behalf of local Conservative groups, said in a subsequent statement: “We regret that Lee Anderson has taken this decision.”to I “A lot of people like Lee but are disappointed that he feels he has to move on,” he says.
He said he believed the Conservatives could retain the seat, but acknowledged that “Mr Lee played a key role in Mr Ashfield’s victory” and added: “Since Mr Lee became an MP, the number of MPs has increased. It’s not a coincidence, because there was a significant increase in
The Conservative Party has not yet selected a replacement candidate. And on Tuesday, Mr Anderson’s face remained on a banner outside the Conservative party’s headquarters in Sutton-in-Ashfield, one of the four towns in the constituency. The office is located above a certified public accountant’s building in a nondescript red brick building. I I was called when no one was in.
Even if the party loses votes at the next Ashfield general election, it will not suddenly happen. Mr Anderson’s victory there was seen as emblematic of the Conservative Party’s “red wall” victory in 2019. However, the Conservatives actually saw their number and share of the vote in Ashfield fall compared to 2017, but significantly less than Labor. The number of votes was almost halved.
Local power Ashfield Independents won the most votes, rising more than 23 per cent to come in second place behind Mr Anderson, beating Labor, the Liberal Democrats and the Brexit Party (now Reform UK). . I came in 4th place.
people of the week I When I spoke to him in Ashfield, despite his turnaround, Anderson seemed unaware of the reform and unsure of its policies.
Debbie, a housewife, looked puzzled when she heard the question, saying, “I don’t even know who the Reformers are or what they stand for, so I have to look into it.” “who are they?”
Local Conservative Party Chairman Moxon also has doubts about reform as a local political force. You go to the door and no one mentions it. ”
But Anderson’s personal appeal among some local voters could change that. Here, unlike some other constituencies, everyone knows their MP. Anderson is a local celebrity, and stardom can be powerful currency in a place that feels ignored.
Former Reform candidate for Ashfield Henry Grisewood, who once described his successor as “mediocre” on the party’s website, now says: I: “Lee Anderson has a wealth of experience and knows the area and the people of Ashfield very well, so I was happy to take the seat.”
Anderson doesn’t have universal appeal. “People around here think he’s stupid,” says one young man. Ashfield has no shortage of honest opinions. People appear to be more active in politics than the apathy that has affected other regions suffering from economic decline.
But the election results suggest growing local disillusionment with the established mainstream parties, with thousands supporting the Ashfield Independence Party, an alternative not tied to the Westminster structure. It currently holds 32 of Ashfield Council’s 35 seats.
Although originally from different political parties – Lib Dems, Greens, Labor and Ukip – its members are united by a common cause: Ashfield. Their leader, Jason Zadrozny, who came in second place in the last general election with 13,498 votes, is proud of the diversity of voices involved. “We have a really diverse group of people, from single mothers living on council land to billionaire businessmen and everyone in between, so our decisions are more relevant to the community than ever before. It’s richer and more reflective of the community,” he says. I.
They also appear to be well-organized, boasting that they knock on about 2,000 doors a week. Despite currently on trial for 12 counts of fraud by false representation and four counts of income tax evasion, Zadrozny plans to run again in the next general election. He maintains his innocence and denies all charges.
He insists that although Labor only has one remaining member of the borough council once controlled, it is not his main competition. “They don’t exist,” he says I. “They have more or less given up that power, given that this is a Labor stronghold and once Geoff Hoon and Frank Haines held all the seats in the Labor majority. I don’t have one.”
And he suggested Labour’s candidate Leah Keane may face difficulty convincing voters, arguing she does not have strong roots in the region.
“I think people in Ashfield are pretty insular,” Zadrozny says. “If I was born in that hospital and went to Ashfield Comprehensive School and can’t say my grandfather was in that hole, then I don’t have a chance.”
Mr Keene, who moved to Ashfield in 2022 and said he has been “leading the local movement ever since”, strongly disputes suggestions that Labor no longer has a visible presence.
“Labour in Ashfield goes out and talks to people every day,” she said, adding that the local Labor Party was involved in a number of initiatives, including Protect the Wreck, in which residents opposed new construction plans for the district council. mentioned the campaign. Public housing located on a recreation ground.
But Labor does not have a constituency headquarters, unlike the Ashfield Independent Party, which has a highly visible office adorned with a large sign with the sharp message: “We work all year round.”
Conservative Party chairman Nigel Moxon admits the party’s localist rivals could be a hidden political story for Ashfield. “What we’ve seen in the national press over the last few days is that the importance of the Ashfield Independent has been glossed over,” he said. “They’re a big factor here right now.”
Whoever wins should have enough to keep them busy in areas that don’t seem to be leveled up. Ashfield has areas of deep poverty, exacerbated by the current cost of living crisis, and residents are desperate for improvement. Within this region, 18 districts rank in his 20% of the most income disadvantaged districts in the country.
Sutton-in-Ashfield is littered with empty shops, some boarded up, and frequent complaints about overly high trading fees echo throughout the community.
Tony, who works at the Lovely Jubbly Kebab House in town, is depressed. “Politicians don’t care about anyone anymore,” he says. “There are too many homeless people. I have been homeless since 2017 and have been staying at a friend’s house, but no one is helping me. It seems like politicians no longer care about humans. ” He longs for better times in the past and says he will vote Labor.
But in the lively White Swan pub, Sam, the owner of a recruitment agency, declares himself to be an ardent Anderson supporter. “He says exactly what people think,” he says. “A lot of what he said about Sadiq Khan has been taken out of context.” Carol Smith, who works in social care, agrees: “A lot of what he said about Sadiq Khan has been taken out of context.” “Everything Lee Anderson says is right. He’s just saying what everyone else thinks.”