‘I wouldn’t trust Nigel Farage as far as I could kick him’… ‘Rishi Sunak is weak as washing up water’! Spalding voters tell The News Agents podcast their thoughts on the upcoming election

Will the safest Conservative seat in the country remain just that after the general election? That was the question posed by a national media organisation when they visited Spalding last week.

Lewis Goodall, who hosts political podcast and vlog The News Agents alongside veteran broadcasters Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel, dropped into the town centre on Tuesday to ask voters in the South Holland and The Deepings constituency their thoughts on the election, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the rise in support of Nigel Farage’s Reform party.

And he found a mixed bag of opinions - as well as campaigning Westminster hopeful Sir John Hayes.

“We just though, given that we’re passing by, it would be rude not to pop in and just try and get a sense of the views of what should be the most Conservative place in the country and the people who live there,” said Goodall opening the video, which can be viewed online, sat outside the Constitutional Club.

But within ‘precisely 30 seconds’ of heading into the town centre the camera clocked Sir John, who has represented the safest Tory seat in the country since 1997.

Asked why he didn’t have Prime Minister Sunak on his campaign literature, Sir John added: “He’s not standing here, I’m standing here.

“I’ve fought eight campaigns and in every one of my campaigns I’ve focussed on what I’m doing for the local people.”

As Goodall attempted to vox pop the traders and shoppers in Spalding for market day - one man noting he ‘wouldn’t trust Mr Farage as far as I can kick him’ - Sir John encouraged the cameras to focus on a group of his ‘mates’ sat around a burger van in Market Place.

One gentleman in a mobility scooter said he’d be voting for Sir John as he’s ‘helped me a lot’.

Another said they were a fan of Reform leader Nigel Farage, while a lady sat opposite labelled him ‘arrogant’.

“I’ll still vote Conservative but I wish they’d get some fire in their bellies,” said one interviewee who wasn’t too keen on the current leader.

“He’s as weak as washing up water. Cold washing up water at that,” he added as two teens on scooters sped past yelling ‘yes mate’ to the camera.

Another wanted to see a party that would bring back ‘respect to our society’ by way of corporal punishment in schools and the death penalty for serious offences, also fearing we’ll all remain ‘puppets’ until this country denounces the World Health Organisation and World Economic Forum.

One man lamented the fact this country hasn’t ‘shut our borders’ post Brexit, and hoped we could return as a nation to ‘where we were (during the) World War sort of time, when we had our own factories’.

In summary Goodall suggested the Tory party would survice the election because iof its ‘deep roots’, but highlighted a rise in support for Reform.

“What you can sense here is the same as everywhere else, which is amazing when you consider how safe this seat is - complete dispondency with the Conservative brand,” he added.

“You do feel that opening for Farage. People talk about him genuinely quite glowingly.”

What do you think? Let us know your views in the comments below…