A political battle is brewing in Southampton Itchen

Southampton Itchen is one of the most marginal constituencies in Hampshire. Since 2010, the sitting member of parliament has never enjoyed a majority of more than 5,000 votes and the seat often switches between Conservative and Labour.

With the Conservative Party polling poorly, Southampton Itchen is a seat that Labour are eyeing to take back, having last held it in 2015.

Despite Labour being the favourites to take back Itchen, their candidate, Darren Paffey was not complacent: “To now be in a position where in four or so years, people are trusting us once again and putting their faith in us to be able turn the country around from where it is at the moment, is an enormous achievement but for that reason, we take nothing for granted.”

John Denham was Labour’s MP for Itchen for 23 years, before standing down in 2015. He first won with a majority of 551 votes, his last victory in 2010 was with a majority of just 192 votes. Southampton Itchen has a long history of being a marginal seat. Therefore, it is a challenge for any candidate Conservative or Labour to win other a majority of voters here.

Royston Smith, the Conservative MP is standing down at the next general election. Throughout his time as Itchen’s MP, he has been unable to solidify the seat as a Conservative stronghold. Even during the 2019 Conservative landslide, in which the party achieved an 80 seat majority, Royston Smith achieved a majority of less than 5,000 votes. With the Conservatives in dire straits in national polling, Southampton Itchen is seat the Tories will be very keen to hold onto.