SEVERAL candidates have put their hats in the ring to contest SW Surrey’s long-standing Conservative MP Jeremy Hunt at next month’s General Election.

Mr Hunt’s sparring partner at the last election in 2015, UKIP’s Mark Webber, as well as the Lib Dems’ Ollie Purkiss have already put their names forward for the June 8 ballot.

A ‘progressive alliance’ between Labour, the Green Party and National Health Action (NHA), possibly fronted by 2015 NHA candidate Dr Louise Irvine, is also on the cards.

And Rowledge architect Mark Westcott is another considering a run against Mr Hunt as an “centrist centre left” independent.

• Launching his bid for a fifth-straight term this week, Mr Hunt emphasised that local as well as national considerations are a “core part of his commitment to the area”.

First elected as Baroness Virginia Bottomley’s successor, Mr Hunt has increased his majority from an initial 5,711 in 2005 to 28,556 at the last General Election.

He is also the third-longest serving Health Secretary since the dawn of the NHS, having held the post since September 4, 2012.

Announcing his bid for re-election on June 8, Mr Hunt said: “However safe the seat, we must remember that every vote for Theresa May will strengthen her hand in the critical Brexit negotiations ahead. It has never been more important for our country to send out a strong signal of support for her as she goes into battle on our behalf.

“But if I am re-elected I also want to continue pushing for major local priorities for Farnham. These include progressing the pedestrianisation of the town centre to make it less polluted, safer and more family-friendly, continuing the fight to deliver a Farnham to Guildford rail service and tackling the superfast broadband gaps in our villages.”

Mr Hunt has also promised a new campaign to combat loneliness and social isolation, building on the ‘dementia champions’ campaign launched three years ago, as well as the “inspiring work” of the late Jo Cox MP.

• UKIP’s Mark Webber announced his candidacy in South West Surrey following a branch hustings in Farnham on Wednesday, April 26.

Mr Webber was the party’s 2015 candidate for the seat, coming second with 5,643 votes. Last year he was involved in campaigning across London and the South East for a ‘leave’ vote in the EU referendum.

He is an IT consultant specialising in banking and financial markets technology with “many years of experience” in the City.

In a speech to party members, Mr Webber attacked Mr Hunt, “a Remainer”, for advocating a second referendum in the wake of last year’s Brexit vote “so that people could change their minds”.

He added: “The electorate voted to leave the European Union, not to remain half-in and half-out”.

• The Lib Dems’ candidate in South West Surrey, Ollie Purkiss, lives in Godalming with his wife and two young daughters. He works as a computer games designer at a small company in Guildford.

Having been a passionate supporter of the Lib Dems for many years, he joined the party in 2015 and was quickly involved in campaigning on local issues.

He was elected to Godalming Town Council in February 2016 where he claims to have achieved concessions on local bus cuts from Surrey County Council, ensured policies on improving air quality are included in the Neighbourhood Plan, and fought for more affordable housing across the area.

“I am delighted to be selected to stand for the Liberal Democrats in South West Surrey against Jeremy Hunt,” he said.

“The big national issues facing us have real impact locally, and I relish the opportunity to take the government to task on the key issues such as our struggling social care system and cuts to school budgets.”

Mr Purkiss has also vowed to improve the region’s “dangerous air quality”.

“Poor air quality kills tens of thousands each year and we are failing to deal with it,” he continued. “This is an issue nationally, but also locally with areas in Farnham and Godalming identified as having dangerously high levels of pollutants.”

• Mr Purkiss’ candidacy represents a blow to the South West Surrey Compass group, however, whose members recently voted en masse in favour of a single Labour, Lib Dems, Green and National Health Action candidate to contest the South West Surrey constituency in the next General Election.

The group hasn’t given up hope of nominating a single Labour, Green and NHA candidate however, and will hold a ‘progressive forum’, open to all, in Godalming this Saturday to discuss the matter (see this week’s Herald letters page for details of the meeting).

Dr Irvine, who secured 4,851 votes in 2015 and came fourth overall, has confirmed her interest in representing the alliance, but only if she has “the support of the other parties”.

• Eligible voters wishing to have their say on June 8 must register to vote, if they have not already done so, online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote no later than Monday, May 22.

Postal vote applications must be made by 5pm on Tuesday, May 23, and proxy applications by 5pm on Wednesday, May 31.

Postal and proxy vote application forms can be downloaded online at www.waverley.gov.uk/elections. Call Waverley’s elections team on 01483 523116 or email [email protected] for more information.