Who will be my MP in… Richmond Park?

Millions of voters in London will go to the polls on July 4 to elect a new government. The Standard analyzes key battlefield sites in the capital. Here we turn on the spotlight:

RICHMOND PARK

Candidates for the main parties (in alphabetical order):

Laura Coryton – Labor Party

Sara Gezdari – conservative

Michael Hearn – Reform Britain

Sarah Olney – Liberal Democrats

Chas Warlow – Green Party

summary: This affluent area of ​​south-west London was a marginal swing constituency after its creation in 1997, comprising areas of two Conservative seats, Richmond and Barnes and Kingston.

It was won in the first Blair landslide by Lib Dem Jenny Tonge and she held it until 2010.

But millionaire environmentalist Zac Goldsmith ousted the Lib Dems that year and was re-elected in 2015 amid a backlash against the Lib Dems for going into coalition with the Tories.

But he resigned as a local MP in October 2016 in protest at the Government’s decision to back a third runway at Heathrow.

He stood as an independent in the December by-election but lost to Lib Dem Sarah Olney, even though the Tories did not contest the seat.

But Mr Goldsmith won it back in Theresa May’s June 2017 snap election, beating Ms Olney by just 45.

However, she regained her seat in the 2019 Brexit general election with a majority of 7,766.

Area: This constituency includes seven Richmond wards including Barnes, East Sheen – Ham, Petersham and Richmond Riverside – Kew, Mortlake & Barnes Common, North Richmond, South Richmond and three Kingston wards of Canbury, Coombe Hill and Tudor

Not sure if I’m in this constituency: Here’s how you can check

Impact of boundary changes (Thrasher and Rallings analysis): Boundary changes have made this marginal more of a Lib Dem seat. In the 2019 general election, the result was 53.1% Free Dems, 41.2% Conservatives and 5.2% Labour. The changes would have made it 53.6% Lib Dem, 40.6% Tory and 5.3% Labour.

YouGov MRP poll prediction: Lib Dem hold

Standard evening view: This seat has been Lib Dem, Lib Dem, Lib Dem, Con, Con, Lib Dem, Con, Lib Dem since 1997… and looks set to remain Lib Dem