Could Gillian Keegan face Portillo moment at next election?

For the first time since 1997, the county is expected to see a number of closely fought battles which could determine which party holds the keys to Number 10.

From Chichester to Camber, The Argus has spoken to people in six key constituencies ahead of the election about the mood on the ground and how the results could play out on election day.

Today, we look at Chichester, currently held by Education Secretary Gillian Keegan. This Tory stronghold last elected a non-Conservative MP in 1923, Charles Rudkin for the Liberals - although he was jettisoned from office by voters in another general election the following year.

In any other election, the race in Chichester would be nothing but a footnote in any election. However, with support for the government tanking and the Liberal Democrats gaining control of the city’s council in the local election in May, the prospect of a wildcard result on election night cannot be ruled out.

Even Labour’s shadow foreign secretary David Lammy remarked recently that Chichester could change hands for the first time in more than 100 years.

Such a result could replicate the historic election moment in 1997 when former defence secretary Michael Portillo fell victim to Tony Blair’s Labour landslide.

'I would want to champion Chichester at every possible moment'

Jess Brown-Fuller and Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey hope to 'show Keegan the door' at the next election (Image: Liberal Democrats)

The Liberal Democrat hoping to follow in the footsteps of Charles Rudkin is Chichester District councillor Jess Brown-Fuller, one of the 25 Lib Dems elected to the council in May.

Ms Brown-Fuller, who graduated from Chichester University and has lived in the area since the 1990s, said that a Liberal Democrat MP for the constituency would help shape the national conversation on issues such as the climate crisis, as well as provide the city with a community voice in Westminster.

She said: “Having a more Liberal Democrat voice in Parliament means we have better international relationships, we put environmentalism at the forefront of everything, and we represent the people within our communities in a compassionate and proactive way.

“That is proven all the time by our MPs - they are community champions of their areas and that is what I would be for Chichester. I would want to champion Chichester at every possible moment.”

She also said that the collapse in support for the Conservatives is making the constituency much more competitive than at previous elections.

'The Conservatives will win unless you lend us your vote'

Reflecting on the party’s success in May, Ms Brown-Fuller said the Liberal Democrats performed better than even they had expected.

“We were really hopeful that we would take the council and the campaign that we ran and the response we had on the doors actually meant we did exponentially better,” she said.

“We were only 36 votes away from winning another two seats - they were seats you wouldn’t have even considered we would get anywhere close.”

Across the whole of the district, the party secured 52 per cent of the vote in the local election.

Jess Brown-Fuller with Liberal Democrat activists (Image: Liberal Democrats)

Ms Brown-Fuller said that there is a growing number of people, including life-long Conservatives, who are finding themselves politically homeless.

She said: “They feel totally let down by the Conservative government - they don’t feel like they are representing Conservative values any more so they don’t know where their political home is.

“We are saying, as Liberal Democrats, we can offer that political home - we are fiscally responsible, while also being proud internationalists and environmentalists.”

The challenge the Liberal Democrats often face is translating success in a local election into winning MPs at a general election.

Ms Brown-Fuller said communicating directly to voters is the key in trying to make that breakthrough.

She said: “We will be reaching out to Labour voters and Green voters and we will say the Conservatives will win here unless you lend us your vote.

“While we have this broken electoral system, we need to have those groups of voters come over to us to make any difference in Chichester - that’s why we are championing electoral reform.”

'People feel totally let down by government'

Among the issues being brought up by residents in the Chichester constituency is that of sewage, with Ms Brown-Fuller explaining that people in Pagham, Bursted and villages in and around the harbour feel “totally let down by the government in allowing Southern Water to pump thousands of gallons of effluent into our areas of beauty”.

She said: “Chichester Harbour has seen the quality of water drop exponentially in the last few years - it comes up a lot on the doors.”

The cost of living is also causing huge hardship across the constituency, Ms Brown-Fuller said.

“House prices are so high, because we live in such a beautiful area, but because of that living here is far more expensive,” she said.

“The cost of living crisis is affecting everybody, not just those on Universal Credit, but those with mortgages. When the price hikes came in, people were really concerned about how they were going to see through the changes in their circumstances.”

'Residents don't feel listened to'

Current MP for Chichester Gillian Keegan

Current MP Gillian Keegan, who left school at 16 to work as an apprentice in manufacturing, caused some controversy for a sweary outburst following an interview on the concrete crisis in schools across the country.

So does Ms Brown-Fuller think Ms Keegan is doing a “a f**king good job” as MP for the Chichester constituency?

She said: “I think she is very passionate about her background and where she has come from, and I think she should be very proud of what she has achieved. I have a lot of respect for that - I have a lot of respect for any woman who managed to get to where she is.

“In terms of representing Chichester, I don’t think she cares enough. She doesn’t mention Chichester enough in Parliament.

“Gillian is a career politician - there is nothing wrong with that, she is trying to climb the greasy poles of Westminster to get to the highest position possible, so she will always toe the party line.

“For residents of Chichester who have genuine concerns in certain areas, they don’t feel listened to or represented - they feel like they get the stock response.”

The Chichester Cross, one of the city's most well-known landmarks (Image: Supplied)

Ms Brown-Fuller also criticised Ms Keegan’s lack of relationship with the city and the constituency, having been “airlifted” into Chichester after previously standing for election in the Labour safe seat of St Helens South and Whiston in Merseyside.

“If we are going to champion Chichester, we need someone with their feet in the community at the next election, which I am - and I think a lot of voters will come our way,” Ms Brown-Fuller said.

'Gillian's majority was comfortable - that won't be the case next year'

Cllr Henry Potter (Image: Supplied)

Henry Potter was one of only five Conservative councillors left on Chichester District Council after May’s local election. The party suffered a near wipeout, losing more than a dozen seats to the Liberal Democrats and the Local Alliance.

Although he thinks the Tories will hold the constituency, he expects the party’s majority in the seat to be reduced at the next election.

He said: “Everybody keeps talking about the Liberal Democrats. I don’t seriously think they are going to have a big impact on our constituency election, but they may well reduce the Conservative vote if they’re supported by people going to other parties.

“Gillian’s majority was very comfortable - that’s not going to be the case next year, believe you me.”

The Argus approached Gillian Keegan for an interview but received no response.