The nation’s eyes on Gosport as every seat stands ready for grabs

Key national battleground is revealed

WITH every single seat up for grabs next week, Gosport is a town that even the national media is keeping an eye on.

A full reset of the council will be a good indication of the national political picture, and the true extent of the local damaged caused by Boris Johnson's partygate scandal.

The reason every seat is up for election is that the

Local Government Boundary Commission has redrawn Gosport's ward map, removing six seats and three wards - leaving space for 28 councillors across 14 wards.

Political parties have known for some time that this was on the cards, and have been making preparations for a couple of years.

The Daily Mail has outlined Gosport as a key national battleground for this year's election, saying the outcome in the town remains 'unpredictable'.

Currently, Gosport has a small Conservative majority led by Cllr Graham Burgess, with a Liberal Democrat opposition headed up by Cllr Peter Chegwyn and one Labour councillor, Cllr June Cully.

The Green Party is also fielding five candidates, with Dale Fletcher being the only independent candidate for the new Harbourside and Town ward.

But while the national drama rages on in Westminster, Gosport residents have shared their concerns about local issues that could also turn the tide of this election.

One of these issues is the future of Gosport bus station. The council has promised a total waterfront regeneration, but plans have continually stalled over the past decade.

June Aldridge, 82 from Elson, said: 'I don't drive anymore - I go everywhere by bus - so if I go into town I usually end up at the bus station.

'We've read about it for donkey's years in the paper, how the council plans to do it all up and make it nice, but nothing has been done.

'If there's no money for it then I'd rather they just said so and let somebody else take on the job. If they can convince me that there's a plan in action for the bus station, then they'll have my vote.'

Hampshire County Council's takeover of on-street parking has also been a concern for some.

Roger Birdwood, 73 from Bridgemary, said: 'You have to pay for on-street parking in Lee-on-the-Solent now and it's been a real pain.

'My worry is the county council will try and put parking meters elsewhere in Gosport too, so we need councillors who can push back against that.

'They can't just focus on the finances because if people get fed up with paying to park then they might just go somewhere else instead.'

But some Gosport residents remain focused on the partygate scandal, and see local elections as their chance to make their feelings known.

Lewis Ward, 47 from Forton, said: 'People know that the best way to make their feelings known is by voting with their feet.

'If this scandal means Boris has lost a lot of support, and that gets reflected in how these elections pan out, then I reckon there will be even more calls to resign - even from his own party.'

Edwina Smith, 86 from Lee-on-the-Solent, added: 'In all my life I have never seen a prime minister under such scrutiny.

'It goes to show how much hot water he is in, and I do believe it's going to have quite an impact on the way people vote in the elections.'