Momentum to send ‘hundreds of activists’ to Boris Johnson’s seat in bid to oust him at next election
2 min read
Left-wing campaign group Momentum are to send hundreds of activists to Boris Johnson’s seat in a bid to oust him at the next general election.
The group says supporters will knock on doors in the Tory leadership frontrunner’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency over the next year, while mounting a targeted social media campaign.
Mr Johnson, who is battling it out with Jeremy Hunt to succeed Theresa May later this month, saw his majority halved in 2017 to just over 5,000 and the group hopes he could become the first PM to lose their seat at an election.
The pro-Corbyn outfit cites research by conservative think tank ‘Onward’, which found that a surge in young voters living in the seat made him vulnerable to being replaced by a Labour MP.
Becky Boumelha, a member of Momentum’s National Coordinating Group, said that the role of activists in helping Labour hold Peterborough at May’s by-election against a Brexit Party surge proved the campaign's influence.
“From calling women who wear burqas letterboxes to endangering British nationals abroad and plotting to beat up journalists, it’s clear Boris Johnson isn’t fit to hold any form of public office, let alone become prime minister," she said.
“At the Peterborough by-election last month Labour unexpectedly beat the Brexit party after Momentum mobilised more than 1,000 activists to knock on doors and make phone calls.
“Now we’re launching a campaign to make sure Johnson goes down in history as the first sitting prime minister to lose his seat.
“At the last election we slashed his majority in half, and now even Tories admit his seat is vulnerable to a surge in young voters at the next election.”
Ali Milani, the Momentum-backed Labour candidate in the constituency, said: “Ever since Boris Johnson was parachuted into Uxbridge and South Ruislip, he’s neglected his constituents and concerned himself only with his own career.
“Bragging about “sticking up for bankers” in his bid to become Tory leader might go down well with party members, but the people of Uxbridge and South Ruislip are less than impressed.”
“Our community deserves better, and as a local resident, community activist and prospective Labour MP I’m proud to be taking part in a campaign to unseat a potential sitting prime minister.”
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