Former Prime Minister David Cameron visited West Berkshire today (Tuesday) to aid local Conservatives in their quest to have Newbury MP Laura Farris re-elected in next month’s General Election.
Lord Cameron was welcomed by a crowd of around 30 Tory supporters, councillors and Ms Farris herself outside St Michael and All Angels Church in Lambourn at 2.15pm.
He spurred the group on before they went canvassing in the area, exclaiming that Ms Farris was a “fantastic” MP and stating “we absolutely can do this”.
The former PM and current foreign secretary in Rishi Sunak’s cabinet then travelled to Upper Lambourn where he embarked on a tour of Ed Walker’s yard, also known as Kingsdown Stables.
Lord Cameron was led by Mr Walker to meet the horses and stroll through the grounds, and they were joined by Nicky Henderson, another one of the area’s most successful horserace trainers.
Following the stables tour, Lord Cameron was asked if Mrs Farris was the favourite to win the Newbury seat in the constituency’s perceived two-horse race between her and Liberal Democrat candidate Lee Dillon.
He said: “She’s going to be quick out of the stalls. She’s got her campaign going already.
“She’s a seasoned jockey having won last time, and she’s got a great form track record.
“You can look back and see what she’s done for Newbury and West Berkshire over the last five years so I think that’s why she’s the strong favourite.
“In the end, the voters decide who they want.
“There are lots of candidates standing but we’ve got one person, Laura Farris, who has a track record of supporting Rishi Sunak who has a plan for the country at this dangerous and uncertain time.”
Lord Cameron was also asked why young, first-time voters in Newbury should back the Conservatives next month.
He said: “Young people, particularly here in Newbury, do get a good start in life. Ninety-four per cent of schools in Newbury are either Good or Outstanding.
“There has been a big investment in apprenticeships so you’ve got the chance of either going to university or doing an apprenticeship and getting a great job.
“It’s very low unemployment here, a very successful economy with lots of small businesses and also some big starring businesses like Vodafone that have done a huge amount for the town.
“But really what this election is about in my view is that it is about security and prosperity and those two things go together.
“We are living in a very dangerous, difficult, uncertain world and what Rishi Sunak has done in the last two years is get inflation down from 11 per cent to two per cent and getting our economy growing again so that it is now growing faster than France, Italy, Germany or America.
“We have got Britain back on track with a man with a plan and we shouldn’t put that at risk.
“Obviously here in Newbury you have a very hard-working MP in Laura Farris who has done a great job.
“We are here at a racing stables and she has really helped this industry which employs thousands of people in Newbury and across the country.
“It is very successful and we want to keep it that way.”
