Swella Braverman
Swella Braverman will contest the next general election in a safe location in Hampshire after winning a qualifying battle against a Conservative MP .
The Home Secretary was chosen by Tory members to replace Flick Drummond in the proposed new constituency of Fairham and Waterlooville.
She won a tight fight by 77 votes to 54 on Wednesday night in what was called «The Battle of Waterlooville»; local activists.
Two diametrically opposed candidates are pitted against each other.
Ms Braverman, a staunch right-wing Brexiter, took on Ms Drummond, who is pro-European centrist
This is due to the fact that two locations — Fareham and Meon Valley — are actually merged according to the proposed boundary changes. /> Swella Braverman was elected by Tory members to replace Flick Drummond in the proposed new constituency of Fairham and Waterlooville. Credit: AFP
In the run-up to the announcement of the results, there were speculations that the home secretary would face an uphill battle to defeat local members.
Conservative Home, a grassroots Tory website, reported in February that she was «not universally popular» and that voters want «an obedient local advocate.»
On election day, one local Conservative council member said that she is «fighting» to campaign for Ms. Braverman if she wins the election.
«I fundamentally disagree with her about some of her views,» Caroline Brooke told Times Radio.< /p>
But she has seen a notable population surge in recent weeks after the government oversaw a widely-lauded crackdown on incoming small boats.
According to Conservative Home's latest rankings released this week, she was ranked fourth. among the most popular cabinet ministers.
Ms Braverman has been labeled a divisive figure and has taken a hard line on Brexit, illegal migration and «culture war» issues such as transgender rights.
Unlike Ms Drummond, Ms Drummond is a lowly constituency MP who does not have a Twitter account and rarely makes headlines on national issues.
She is Vice Chair of the Conservative European forum, a group of conservative pro-EU MPs, and supports campaigns such as Black Lives Matter.
The proposed new seat the couple fought for was hailed as the top prize given that it is likely to will prove to be a safe haven in the next general election.
Ms Braverman currently holds a majority of over 26,000 votes in Fareham, while Ms Drummond defeated Labor with 23,500 votes in Meon Valley in 2019.
Establishment Commission Borders redraws the map of UK constituencies as part of an update to reflect recent changes in population structure.
It began its review in January 2021 and is expected to make its final recommendations by July 1 after several rounds of nationwide consultations.
Several senior Conservative MPs are at risk from the changes, including Dominic Raab, Deputy prime minister. who will be stripped of Conservative constituencies.
Sir Gavin Williamson, former Secretary of Defense, and current incumbent Ben Wallace will see their seats effectively abolished as a result of the revision.
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Ms Braverman said: “I would like to thank my association of the Conservative Party for accepting me as their candidate for a new seat in Fairham and Waterlooville. I am honored to be able to continue to represent my constituents in Parliament.
"I have been honored to be the MP for this area since 2015 and will never tire of fighting to bring positive change to the people of Fairham and Waterlooville. I also want to thank my parliamentary colleague Flick Drummond MP for her excellent work for the benefit of the people of the Meon Valley.”
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