The Prime Minister is welcomed to the science park at Emersons Green by chief executive Bonnie Dean and the local Conservative General Election candidates in the Bristol area, including Chris Skidmore, in whose Kingswood constituency Emersons Green lies, and Jack Lopresti (Filton & Bradley Stoke)
The Prime Minister David Cameron today urged wavering voters to return Chris Skidmore as Kingswood’s MP at the General Election.
Kingswood is a marginal seat which Labour are hoping to win back on 7th May. Before Mr Skidmore took the seat in 2010, Labour’s Dr Roger Berry had held it for 18 years.
Mr Cameron and the Chancellor George Osborne were speaking at the Bristol & Bath Science Park at Emersons Green where the Conservatives’ battle bus rolled up today.
They were greeted by local Conservative candidates including Jack Lopresti, who is standing again in Filton & Bradley Stoke, Theo Clarke, who is the prospective candidate for East Bristol, and Luke Hall, who is standing in Thornbury & Yate.
Addressing an audience of the Tory faithful, Mr Cameron said that 94% of working households would be better off, thanks to Tory policies. And he said that while the Conservatives would cut income tax, Labour would cut income.
The Prime Minister with Clemmie, the baby daughter of Chris Skidmore, who is hoping to be returned as MP for Kingswood
He said the Conservatives were just 23 seats off a majority.
M Skidmore said: “It was fantastic that both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor were able to make a rare joint visit to Kingswood, the second time that David Cameron has come to the area in a year.
“Today is the day that we increased the tax free personal allowance to £10,600 up from £6,475 in 2010, meaning that every taxpayer now has £950 extra in their pocket. Ensuring that we trust local people with their own money, at the same time as restoring our economy is a key message for this election, and with unemployment in Kingswood having halved since 2010, the message that we need a competent Government restoring our finances, rather than return to the days of tax, borrow more and spend, will be a strong one.”
Meanwhile the Culture Secretary Sajid Javid, a former pupil at Downend School, was out campaigning with Mr Skidmore yesterday when they visited the new Batch community centre in Cadbury Heath.
Mr Skidmore said: “The Batch is the greatest investment in Cadbury Heath for decades, thanks to years of hard work by local Conservative councillors in delivering the £2m investment. It was clear that the Culture Secretary was impressed by the state-of-the-art facilities. The visit was all the more worthwhile as he is a local man who grew up nearby.”
And the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has been in Bath today for the launch of the Bath and North East Somerset Liberal Democrat manifesto.
