Fed up Londoners in swing seat slam ‘shocking' living situations and demand fairer housing
With four out of the previous six MPs for Richmond Park representing the Liberal Democrats, the polls are suggesting that their constituency is set to stick to recent tradition at the General Election on July 4. Sarah Olney of the Liberal Democrats has stood as Richmond Parks MP following a by-election 2016 and then since 2019, after losing it to the Conservatives in 2017, who were also the majority in 2010.
With its notable swings, this Lib Dem tug of war with the Tories has caused it to become a hot election seat. However, despite Olney being predicted a 52 per cent win by UK Polling Report, residents of the Richmond Park constituency - which had the highest London turnout in 2019 with 78.7 per cent - expressed disillusion with the entire election, with many asking why topics like housing haven’t received more coverage.
James, 34, who has recently started renting struggled to get a mortgage on a house due to it being an ex-council property, and vocalised concerns about housing accessibility. He said: “It feels like when I was younger I had less money but it went a lot further, whereas nowadays I earn quite a bit more money, it doesn’t stretch very far with the cost of living crisis.”
Alex Aucken in Richmond for MyLondon feature ahead of General Election 2024
James mentioned how getting on the property ladder is becoming increasingly difficult for young people and described many individual living situations as ‘shocking’. Tony, who was in the same area, advocated for more support for the homeless, being homeless himself. He also suggested the better use of disused space above shops.
The reality of home ownership was questioned on the first TV leader debate following the statistic stating the most common living arrangement for 18 to 34-year-olds is living with their parents. However Richmond Park residents still believe it is not being prioritised.
JR, a Richmond local in his 70s who requested to remain anonymous, explained how throughout his life he has seen nurses and doctors being able to live in the best property, to not even being able to afford housing near their place of work. He said: "Rishi Sunak didn’t have Sky TV as a child, but all the kids at home now don’t have any hope."
The role of the press in politics was mentioned by Alex Aucken, 57, who works in tech and expressed concerns about the amount of misleading information available. He described the communication from parties to the public as "appalling," suggesting the content that sells or trends doesn’t necessarily show what’s really going on.
He said: “The public is stuck in a mire of misinformation, bad information, good information, not knowing what information is any good and a bunch of politicians who haven’t got a clue.”
Graham Blounce, 81, wearing a jacked with a red and white scarf underneath in Richmond
When MyLondon asked members of the public around Richmond Park for three words to describe Rishi Sunak, Aucken offered: "Not good enough"’ Other suggestions ranged from ‘ridiculous, disappointing, and selfish’ to ‘he’s okay.’
When characterising the current Prime Minister, sci-fi author Graham Blounce, 81, said that he worried Sunak had no understanding of people or real life. The ongoing crisis and lack of clear communication from political parties continue to resonate with the constituents, despite many feeling disempowered by the choices they have been offered.
With a history of political swings and a highly contested seat, Richmond Park remains a key area to watch in this election cycle.
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