“Attack” is the watchword of the Government as it starts preparing for an election. A staffer outside Number 10 yesterday was snapped by photojournalist Steve Back flaunting an election planning document. It lists the current situation in marginal seats, recommending rough campaigns in Labour and Lib Dem territory. The plan also shows the Tory scramble to sort out their own backyard.
A number of seats are designated as “potential displacement” areas, where the sitting MP might be moving on. This is due to some MPs trying a “chicken run” from unsafe to safe seats. Because the next election will be fought after a boundary review, many seats have changed shape or disappeared entirely. A combination of redrawn boundaries and a poor showing for the Conservatives could see some previously comfortable MPs fighting for their political careers at the next election.
