Conservatives face historic defeat in Oxfordshire, says bombshell poll

The general election is almost into its final week, and the Conservatives appear to be facing an historic defeat after a bombshell new poll suggested the party could lose all its Oxfordshire seats bar one.

At the moment the party holds all Oxfordshire seats apart from the Oxford and Abingdon constituencies.

But the latest Survation poll, updated on June 15, shows Victoria Prentis the only Tory MP who will keep her seat in Banbury but only narrowly.

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Her estimated vote share is only 28.5 per cent against Labour’s 27.8 per cent.

The poll also predicts a shock win for the Lib Dems in former prime minister David Cameron's safe seat of Witney.

A full list of candidates in all Oxfordshire constituencies can be found here

The Tories were forecast to hold it in YouGov’s first MRP poll but a YouGov poll released two weeks later on June 19 predicted the Lib Dems on course to take Witney with 38 per cent of the vote.

The Conservatives were predicted to get 31 per cent, Labour 16 per cent, Reform UK 13 per cent and Greens two per cent.

That is echoed in the Survation poll which also predicts Robert Courts may be in trouble and has the current leader as the Lib Dems.

The constituency, which now contains Faringdon, Watchfield and Shrivenham and is minus Chipping Norton, after boundary changes, has had a Tory MP since its creation in 1983.

According to the Survation poll, Didcot and Wantage, which has been held by the Conservatives since 1924, could be a Labour gain with Conservative candidate David Johnston losing his seat.

Meanwhile Henley, where John Howell served as MP for 15 years, winning five elections before stepping down last year, would swing to the Lib Dems, according to the poll.

The Lib Dems are also the bookies favourite to win the new constituency of Bicester and Woodstock, which is one of their targets.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey with candidate Calum Miller in Bicester (Image: Contributed)

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey has visited Bicester and Layla Moran, who is defending Oxford West & Abingdon which she first won in 2017, has been campaigning in Woodstock launching a mini-manifesto on social care in the town.

Conservative deputy leader at West Oxfordshire District Council Liam Walker said: “We aren’t getting distracted by the many polls that have been shared and are focused on speaking with voters right across Oxfordshire.

"Whilst the Lib Dems focus on the past they’re deliberately keeping quiet about their poor record locally running the county council, and we are focused on the future.

"Only a vote for our brilliant Conservative team in Oxfordshire can stop Labour getting a super majority in Parliament that would be supported by the Lib Dems.”

He added: “I’m concerned a Labour supermajority would mean top down housing in Oxfordshire with little consideration for what local residents think.

"Also, the risk that the Botley West Solar Farm will simply get signed off by the new Secretary of State despite the strong local opposition.”

Bicester and Woodstock Conservative MP candidate Rupert Harrison served as former advisor to prime minister David Cameron as well as George Osborne.

Conservative Rupert Harrison believes it is a close Labour/Conservative race (Image: Contributed)

Mr Harrison said: "Most of the pollsters have the new Bicester & Woodstock seat as a very close race between Labour and the Conservatives, with the Lib Dems in third.

"A lot of people here are worried about what a Labour Government would mean for Oxfordshire, with higher taxes and top down housing targets imposed without a say for local people, and our message is getting through that the only way to stop Labour winning here is to vote Conservative."

Meanwhile a message posted on Oxfordshire Conservatives Facebook page urges candidates to ignore the proliferation of polls - which can be up to three in a day.

It says: "Remember the only poll that matters is the one that's on polling day itself. Which is in just nine days.

"Remember any vote but Conservative on the 4th July in much of the county is a vote for the Liberal Democrats who are already control so much of life across the county.

"They will take it as a vote for more 20mph zones, more LTNs and 15 minute cities. They will take it as reasonable that the SEND situation in the county is failing."

It adds: "Reform can't win here but they can steal a win from a hard working rightwing Conservative candidate."

A Conservative wipeout at the general election is the aim of both the Liberal Democrats and the Reform party.

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