I grew up in Guildford. My grandparents have lived there for over 60 years. They have never missed an election, always voting Labour, and always seeing a Tory elected. It takes a certain kind of masochism to head to the polling booths for over half a century, knowing your candidate will lose.
As a child, I could never understand why Guildford kept on returning Tory MPs. My family was horrified by Thatcherism, and I couldn’t grasp why anyone else would fail to see what she was doing to the country. Then, one day my grandfather sat me down to explain Surrey psephology: the Tories would win Guildford even if they stood a donkey with a blue rosette.
But Surrey psephology was over-turned on 7th June. Guildford now has a new MP in favour of higher taxes and investment in public services. What has happened? I used to argue with class mates about the drawbacks of Thatcherism. But being left-wing in Guildford was a bit like being an Arsenal supporter representing a seat in Greater Manchester (which is what I now am, having just been elected as the Labour MP for Stalybridge and Hyde).
If you are a subscriber, please log in »
This article is available to subscribers only
Subscribing to Prospect is the most reliable and convenient way to receive the magazine every month, and offers the best value.Subscription Types:
Online
An online subscription offers you complete and unlimited access to the entire website, including our searchable archive of every back issue of Prospect, and a PDF edition of each new issue: all this for just £20 per year. Purchase an online subscription »Renewal
Renew an existing subscription »Institutional access
If you are a library, business organisation or any other large institution that needs a multi-user licence, you can obtain institutional access.
Share
Subscribe to post comments
Print
