Cheltenham: Poverty and hospital's future among top priorities for candidates

  • Cheltenham's election candidates talk to ITV News' Caron Bell

Alex Chalk wears many hats: Lord Chancellor, Justice Secretary and, since 2015, Conservative MP for Cheltenham. But he could be about to lose all three.

One of only two Cabinet ministers in the South West, Alex Chalk's seat is a prime target for the Liberal Democrats.

In fact, their leader Ed Davey is so confident of taking Cheltenham that he launched his party's national election campaign there in May.

The polls make happy reading for the Lib Dems. YouGov puts them far ahead of the Conservatives in the Cheltenham race, with Labour and the Greens even further behind.

Alex Chalk said: "I'm the underdog, of course I'm the underdog. But I'm passionate about democracy.

"You can't only be passionate about democracy if you win. So you have to put yourself forward and say, 'This is what I've done; this is what I plan to do'."

Alex Chalk was elected MP for Cheltenham in 2015, 2017 and 2019. 2024 is going to be far trickier. Credit: ITV West Country

Chalk points to a successful campaign to save Cheltenham General's A&E department as his proudest local achievement.

For his Lib Dem rival - former town councillor Max Wilkinson - the very fact the department was under threat is a reason to vote out the Conservatives.

"I'm hoping that everyone who wants a fair deal for our town will unite behind the Liberal Democrats at this election, and make sure that we get rid of this awful Conservative government," said Wilkinson.

Max Wilkinson spent ten years as a Cheltenham town councillor. Credit: ITV West Country

Poverty is not a word often associated with Cheltenham's elegant streets, but it's the focus for the other two candidates in this race.

The Green Party's Daniel Wilson wants big tax rises for the highest earners. "Cheltenham has many thousands of millionaires," he claimed.

"This country is the fifth richest in the world. And yet we have real issues in society with homelessness and food bank use."

Labour's Lara Chaplin says her own experience of living in poverty makes her best placed to tackle it.

"I'm from a really deprived area [Grimsby in Lincolnshire]; I brought my daughter up in a really deprived area.

"My background gives me that resilience and that understanding of how to help others out of poverty."

A full list of Cheltenham candidates in the 2024 General Election:

  • Alex Chalk - Conservative

  • Lara Chaplin - Labour

  • Daud McDonald - Independent

  • Max Wilkinson - Liberal Democrat

  • Daniel Wilson - Green Party