What the people of High Wycombe think of the General Election results

We spoke to members of the public along the streets of High Wycombe to get their view on Labour’s landslide victory in this year’s General Election.

The national vote, which took place on July 4 and was the country's first in nearly five years, saw a sweep of red take over the nation as the Conservatives lost a whopping 244 seats – the largest in the party’s history since its formation in 1834.

It was also Labour’s biggest win in a General Election since the 1832 vote, as they managed to gain 412 seats in Parliament.

Notable gains were made in Buckinghamshire, as Steve Baker (High Wycombe) and Rob Butler (Aylesbury), both lost their seats to Labour candidates.

However, despite the change of government as the UK gets ready for its sixth Prime Minister in 14 years, not everyone in South Buckinghamshire is feeling optimistic.

Mr Johnson, 88, who is initially from Chinnor, said: “They’re all the same so I didn’t vote.

“We’ve got this idiot now [Keir Starmer]…he better not upset Russia because we’ll know what will happen.

Mr Johnson, 88, refused to vote (Image: NQ)

“If the Conservatives had another four or five years, they would have knocked it on the head.

“They were gradually getting better.”

Ian, from Chalfont St Peter, added: “It was a foregone conclusion [that Labour would win and the Conservatives would lose] but it’s one set of s***heads for another.

“That’s the reality.”

Ian didn't seem to positive for the future (Image: NQ)

One woman, who went by the name of ‘Jennifer’, revealed to the Free Press that she wasn’t happy with the result as ‘it was rigged by manipulation’.

Despite the Labour victory, which marks the party’s end of four consecutive losses at the General Election (2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019), there was a low turnout with many people up and down the country refusing to cast their vote.

In his first speech as Prime Minister, Starmer said he plans to ‘rebuild trust in the political system’, following numerous scandals under the previous Conservative government.

This includes the Partygate saga, the cost-of-living crisis, the June 2022 and October 2022 Government Crisis, the resignation of five MPs, the September 2022 mini-budget, and the 2019 suspension of several Members of Parliament.

But one person who is open for change is Labour supporter, Megan Birtwistle.

She told the Free Press: “I live in London but I came home to my parents in High Wycombe to vote as I was more interested in getting Steve Baker out and voting Labour, and I’m glad that I did.

“Hopefully, the result will give Labour the run they need to open things up for more liberal parties in the future.

“My views are with Labour and I might go for Lib Dem or Green in the future, but it wasn’t the year to do that.

Megan Birtwistle travelled from London to vote in High Wycombe. She revealed she wanted to get Steve Baker 'out' (Image: NQ)

When asked about her thoughts on Steve Baker, she continued: “There are going to be highlights for everyone and there will be examples of him helping communities in the area and stuff like that, but I don’t he did his bit for the majority of Wycombe.

“I think it was more for the affluent side than the genuine representatives.

“To be honest, [voting Labour] was just to get Steve out.

“I know more about the Labour MPs where I live in Brixton, but I knew Labour would be safe over there, so it was more valid [to vote] here.”