General Election: Every Sheffield MP's first campaign message to voters after Rishi Sunak's election surprise
Rishi Sunak has begun the frenzy of election campaigning.
Sheffield’s election-bound MPs have kicked off their campaigns after Rishi Sunak’s surprise election announcement on Wednesday.
The Prime Minister scheduled voting for July 4, 2024 in a speech from Downing Street, where he was nearly drowned out by rainfall and the tune of ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ played by protestors outside the gates.
It has kick started the political race Labour politicians have been hoping for, including those in Sheffield.
The city has six MPs - five Labour and one Conservative - all but one of whom will be aiming for re-election.
Sheffield Hallam MP, Olivia Blake, quickly had a video up on her social media accounts. She said: “A general election has just been called and it is time for change.
“This is our chance to build a better Britain and give Sheffield Hallam a fresh start... People here want change.
“As your MP, I will start up for everyone across Sheffield Hallam and make a positive difference to our communities... It’s time to vote Labour.”
Ms Blake is Sheffield Hallam’s second Labour MP after the Liberal Democrats lost the seat to Jared O’Mara in 2017. O’Mara is currently serving a four-year prison sentence after he was found guilty of fraud.
The Liberal Democrats hope to retake Sheffield Hallam in the upcoming election with Shaffaq Mohammed, Leader of the Sheffield Liberal Democrats, as their candidate.
In Sheffield South East, Clive Betts MP posted a similar campaign launch video, filmed in the grounds of the Houses of Parliament.
He said: “Finally, we all have the chance to give our verdict on this disastrous Tory Government.
“We now have a chance to make a change. A change to bring in a new Labour Government to reverse the last 14 years of decline.”
Mr Betts is Sheffield’s longest-serving MP and current sits as the chair of the levelling up, housing and communities committee in Westminster.
He has been an MP since 1992 - serving Sheffield as member for Sheffield Attercliffe until 2010, when the constituency was changed to Sheffield South East.
Sheffield’s only Conservative MP, Miriam Cates, is seeking re-election in Penistone and Stocksbridge - the parliamentary constituency set across parts of Sheffield and Barnsley.
“Since 2019, I’ve been the Member of Parliament for Penistone and Stocksbridge,” she said in a social media video. “Over the last four-and-a-half years it has been an absolute privilege to stand up for you here in parliament.
“We’re making great progress on local projects too. Delivering the town deal in Stocksbridge, improving the rail network around Penistone, and a whole range of local campaigns across our wonderful towns and villages.”
Notably, unlike the other candidates, Ms Cates does not mention her political party in the video - a decision being made by a number of 2019 Conservative politicians hoping to keep their seats in the red wall.
The two other Labour MPs hoping for re-election in Sheffield are yet to post personal messages to followers and voters. The Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough MP Gill Furniss and the Sheffield Heeley MP Louise Haigh have so far both shared the Labour Party’s campaign launch video with Sir Keir Starmer.
Paul Blomfield MP, who has served Sheffield Central since 2010, is standing down at the election.