General election 2024: Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s South West Surrey constituency will cease to exist due to boundary changes

The Conservative MP’s South West Surrey seat mean it will be replaced by the new Godalming and Ash constituency.

The Boundary Commission for England has proposed new parliamentary constituencies to reflect population changes and communities since the last commission in 2010. After a boundary review in 2023, new lines have been drawn and will be implemented for the election on July 4.

New battlegrounds drawn up means a new electorate and new priorities- Voters looking forward to holding their MP to account will suddenly find they have been moved to a neighbouring constituency, with an entirely different MP.

Only 45 per cent of Jeremy Hunt’s current constituents in South West Surrey will be able to vote for him. Alternatively, Godalming and Ash will gain 38,071 new voters from Guildford, Surrey Heath and Mole Valley.

Traditionally a Conservative stronghold, the ‘blue wall’, the region is also a key target seat for the Lib Dems. After previously enjoying large margins of the vote, results from the 2019 election showed Hunt with a slim majority of 8,817 votes ahead of his Lib Dem rival, Paul Fallows: Hunt received 32,191 votes to Fallows’ 23,374.

Over half (58.8 per cent) of the current South West Surrey constituency will go to the new Farnam and Borden seat, losing 43,300 voters to East Hampshire. Hunt will no longer represent Farnham and Haslemere at the next general election, an area which has been a historic power base for Conservatives.

Polling from the New Statesman and Britain Elects puts Fallows as winning the seat from the Chancellor of the Exchequer with 40.9 per cent of the vote to Hunt’s 32.8%. Britain Elects poll tracking data to forecast how the country would vote if an election was held today.

The Conservatives could see a drop of 20.7 points in support if current polling is accurate. Labour is predicted to increase its voter share by 4.8 per cent (although it currently has no candidate) and Green to 3.8 percent. Data suggests that Reform could spring past the Green Party, taking 7.5 per cent of votes

Altogether, the electorate for Godalming and Ash is 71,399 and for Farnham and Borden 72,938.

Voter moving into Godalming and Ash include:

• Ash South and Tongham
• Ash Vale
• Ash Whard
• Pilgrims
• Shalford
• Tillingbourne
• Alford, Cranleigh Rural and Ellens Green
• Blackheatrh and Wonersh
• Cranleigh East
• Cranleigh West

Voters moving wards to East Hampshire include:

• Farnham Bourne
• Farnham Castle
• Farnham Firgrove
• Farnham Hale and Heath End
• Farnham Moor Park
• Farnham Shortheath and Boundstone
• Farnham Upper Hale
• Farnham Weybourne and Badshot
• Farnham Wrecclesham and Rowledge
• Frensham, Dockenfield and Tilford
• Haslemere, Critchmere and Shottermill
• Haslemere and East Grayswood
• Hindhead

Alfold, Cranleigh Rural and Ellens Green wards are back in the South West Surrey/Godalming and Ash constituency after being removed in 2010.