Conservatives plot a ‘take out Tim’ strategy in Farron’s Cumbrian seat
Despite the Lib Dem leader’s 9,000 majority, local Tories believe history and Brexit are on their side
TORY advisers are secretly plotting a “take out Tim” strategy to unseat the Liberal Democrat leader at next month’s general election, The Sunday
Telegraph has learnt.
In what would be one of the most dramatic results of election night, Conservative strategists believe they can win back Tim Farron’s Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency.
The Cumbrian seat was held by the Tories for more than 20 years before Mr Farron won it in 2005 by a few hundred votes.
Strategists working in the area are planning to use Brexit, which was backed by an estimated 45 per cent of constituents, to pick off voters.
They will also attempt to exploit Mr Farron’s absence from the area as he leads the Lib Dem national election campaign throughout the country.
Last night a Liberal Democrat source hit back by dismissing the Conservative hopes as “utter nonsense” and calling Mr Farron a “popular and diligent constituency MP”.
The Lib Dem will today announce a series of promises on defence designed to shore up their support base and appeal to veterans.
The party is committing to spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence, and 0.7 per cent of GDP on foreign aid if it wins the election.
The Lib Dems are also proposing a “careers for heroes” policy under which any solider who has served for more than 12 years would be eligible for free university tuition.
Mr Farron, who became Lib Dem leader in July 2015, secured a majority in his constituency of around 9,000 votes at the last election.
However, Tory strategists believe they have a genuine chance of unseating him this time round by winning over Brexit supporters.
“It is very much Tory versus Lib Dem,” said a Conservative source. “If you have 45 per cent of people voting for Brexit, then that is 45 per cent of people on side immediately.
“If you add on people who think you need to get the best deal for Britain now that we’re leaving, how much of the 55 per cent will back the Tories? Suddenly you start to see a different type of dynamic.
“It’s a naturally Conservative area if you go up there. It’s old, it’s agricultural and it is small businesses involved in tourism.”
The Tories have selected James Airey, a farmer and local councillor, to fight the seat. Campaigners who have knocked on doors in the area recently have talked up the party’s chance of success.
At the recent local elections the
Tories picked up a string of council seats in the area, creating further optimism among campaigners.
They hope to recreate famous recent election defeats of political opponents, such as when Ed Balls, then Labour’s shadow chancellor, dramatically lost his seat in 2015.
A Lib Dem source responded: “This reeks of utter desperation. Unlike other leaders, Tim is not afraid to meet the public. He is a popular and diligent constituency MP and this will be reflected, yet again, in his result in June.
“Tim refuses to take his voters for granted, and shouldn’t be judged by the poor standards of others. Tim is spending every single day working hard for every vote, both in his constituency and across the country.
“Tim is making the case for a politics that is open, tolerant and united, and fighting to give people a say on the Brexit deal.”
Mr Farron is committed to spending 0.7 per cent of GDP on foreign aid – a target the party put into law with the Conservatives during the Coalition government.
He maintained: “Liberal Democrats are fierce internationalists, and I am proud of Britain’s record as a world leader in providing help and support to some of the poorest, most vulnerable people in the world.
“UK aid prevents suffering. It allows girls to stay in school, stops babies from dying of preventable illnesses, and ensures that farmers can sell their crops at a fair price.
“A healthier, safer and more stable world is in the best interest of British families as well. That’s why Liberal Democrats are today vowing to fight for Britain’s legacy and protect the 0.7 per cent target.”