LIBERAL Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said his party “have a real chance” to win back Conservative held constituencies, including Lewes.
The 56-year-old visited Seaford, Alfriston and Lewes yesterday and was accompanied by the area's parliamentary candidate, James MacCleary.
Lewes is one of the seats the Lib Dems expect to win back from the Tories after losing it back in 2015 to Maria Caulfield. Norman Baker previously held the seat from 1997 to 2015.
Ed Davey started in Seaford, before meeting supporters in Alfriston which is part of the Wealden Conservative-held constituency.
He then went to Lewes in the afternoon, including Lewes FC’s ground The Dripping Pan, to round off his visit to the county.
Ed Davey told The Argus: “It’s a beautiful place to come to, who wouldn’t want to come here. The Lewes constituency is a seat the Liberal Democrats can win, it’s very close between the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.
“We have an amazing candidate recently selected in James MacCleary and with the Tories letting down the country, we’re finding that even lifelong Conservatives are switching to the Liberal Democrats.
“For months, we have had three parliamentary by-elections in seats which have been Tory for years and years. Areas such as North Shropshire, Tiverton and Honiton.
“We’re finding that as we have spoken to people on doorsteps a similar message coming across, the vast majority feel let down by the Conservatives.
“Increasingly we’re finding that we have a real chance to win back places like Lewes.”
The visit included two meetings in Seaford, one with Women Against State Pension Injustice, while the other was a visit to the Environmental Alliance.
Sir Ed Davey then met supporters in Alfriston, before a lunch at Ye Olde Smugglers Inne in Waterloo Square, Alfriston. He then went to Lewes.
James MacCleary said it was “fair to say to some extent” that recent scandals within the Tory party which led to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s resignation announcement have helped with regaining seats.
He added: “The work of our councillors on the ground, you can see that difference illustrated here.
“The government is fatigued and exhausted, they don’t really seem to care about communities like Alfriston.
“With this cost of living crisis, people just don’t know what to do. People never imagined they would be in this situation.”
The Argus reported earlier in the week that Maria Caulfield was set to lose her seat in Lewes, according to a YouGov poll.
The poll also predicts that Lib Dem candidate for Eastbourne Josh Babarinde will take the Conservative-held seat from Caroline Ansell.
YouGov asked more than 13,000 people in Conservative/Liberal Democrat “battleground seats” – those which have been closely contested between the two parties.
Sussex includes six of these seats: Chichester, Arundel and South Downs, Horsham, Mid Sussex, Lewes and Eastbourne, currently all Tory held.
The poll previously correctly predicted the 2017 UK general election result where the Conservative Party lost its small overall majority.
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