By Jason Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter
The candidates competing to be the next MP for the Southampton Test constituency, which includes Portswood, Highfield and St Denys, have been revealed.
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Residents up and down the country are set to go to the polls on Thursday, July 4.
Prime minister Rishi Sunak surprised many people by calling the general election last month and the campaign is well under way.
The former Southampton Test MP Labour’s Alan Whitehead confirmed some time ago that he would not be standing in the next general election. This means the constituency will have its first new MP since 1997.
Whitehead was successful in the past seven elections, with varying margins of victory. His smallest majority came in 2010 when it was 5.5 per cent over Conservative Jeremy Moulton.
In 2001, Whitehead enjoyed an emphatic win with a 27 per cent majority. Five years ago he had a majority of 13.8 per cent.
The last time a Southampton Test general election ballot paper did not contain his name was 1979.
Former Labour leader of Southampton City Council Satvir Kaur is seeking to succeed her party colleague as the MP.
The constituency is made up of the Bevois, Coxford, Freemantle, Millbrook, Portswood, Redbridge and Shirley wards, the majority of Banister & Polygon and a small part of Swaythling.
Who's standing?
The candidates residents can vote for in Southampton Test and the parties they represent are as follows:
Katherine Jane Barbour – Green Party
Ben Burcombe-Filer – The Conservative Party Candidate
John Peter Edwards – Reform UK
Maggie Fricker – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Thomas Stephen Gravatt – Liberal Democrats
Satvir Kaur – Labour Party
Wajahat Shaukat – Workers Party
A candidate list, along with their addresses where given, details of proposers and locations of polling places is available from this council PDF.
Key dates
There are several key dates in the run-up to polling day. The last day to register to vote is June 18 and people can sign up by visiting gov.uk/register-to-vote.
In the last general election 21 per cent of the ballots cast were postal votes and new applications for postal votes have to be made before 5pm on June 19 via gov.uk/apply-postal-vote.
There are two deadlines on June 26. Anyone who requires a voter authority certificate or who wishes to appoint a proxy to vote for them must have their applications completed at gov.uk before 5pm.
Polling day
Voting on polling day
On the day of the general election, polling places will be open between 7am and 10pm.
Information as to where a voter’s station is will be on their polling card, which should be delivered to their house ahead of the election.
Voter ID
This will be the first UK general election where voters must show identification when voting in person. Voter authority certificates are available to those without accepted IDs.
Voters need one of the following types of photo ID to vote:a UK or Northern Ireland photocard driving licence (full or provisional)
- a driving licence issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands
- a UK passport
- a passport issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or a Commonwealth country
- a PASS card (National Proof of Age Standards Scheme)
- a Blue Badge
- a biometric residence permit (BRP)
- a Defence Identity Card (MOD form 90)
- a national identity card issued by the EU, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
- a Northern Ireland Electoral Identity Card
- a Voter Authority Certificate
- an Anonymous Elector’s Document
- an older person’s bus pass
- a disabled person’s bus pass
- an Oyster 60+ card
- a Freedom Pass
- a Scottish National Entitlement Card (NEC)
- a 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
- a Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
- a Northern Ireland concessionary travel pass
ID which has expired can be used but the photo must still look like you.
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