Aylesbury's Parliamentary candidates begin General Election campaigns after Rishi Sunak's surprise announcement

Yesterday evening (22 May), Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed the date when residents up and down the country will elect the next UK Government.

And within hours all of Aylesbury’s candidates for Parliament expressed their excitement for 4 July.

Last night, Aylesbury’s MP Rob Butler said: “I'll be campaigning on my track record as a strong voice for Aylesbury, both locally and nationally. I'm proud of my work as an MP over the last four years to make Aylesbury an even better place to live, work, visit and invest.

“But there's much more I want to do for Aylesbury. There'll be more details in the days ahead, but I'll be highlighting what local people have told me are their priorities: better roads; improved healthcare; a clamp down on anti-social behaviour; and most of all, a secure future for you and your family.”

Political forecasters had been anticipating this year’s General Election to be called in autumn, after the Conservative party’s disappointing performance in this month’s local elections.

Analysis from the Electoral Calculus currently has Labour as the party most likely to win Aylesbury’s seat. Its candidate Laura Kyrke-Smith, a communications specialist working for an international charity, said: “Bring it on! This country is ready for change. Aylesbury is ready for change. Let's make it happen.”

Also, in contention for Aylesbury’s Parliamentary seat, is the county town’s former mayor, Councillor Steve Lambert. The Liberal Democrat representative said: “Having spent the last year as Mayor of Aylesbury I have seen first hand how 14 years of a Conservative Government and council have undermined our health service and public services. The Conservatives have pitched community against community and sown division in our town and country.

“The brand new Aylesbury constituency has an opportunity to make a change in the general election. With 33 local Lib Dem councillors delivering for our community against 18 conservatives and no Labour, we have the bedrock of change in our grasp by electing me as our Member of Parliament.

“I am honoured to be standing in this General Election, in a place I have called home for nearly a quarter of a century, a place I have been a councillor and mayor for.”