The Liberal Democrats criticized the prime minister’s low-key visit to the Devon constituency after he was seen meeting with party candidate Helen Hurford and a small group of tea farmers. Tory officials shared a photo of Mr Johnson at Ditchetts Farm in Tiverton, and the National Agricultural Union (NFU) said the prime minister had discussed food security with local officials. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: “The fact is that he does not speak to ordinary people. No one seems to know where he is. He hides away from people and I think that says it all. “He takes this constituency for granted.” Earlier Friday, Mr. Johnson received a mixture of applause and disapproval during a surprise visit to the Royal Cornwall Show near Wadebridge, Cornwall. A member of the show’s staff said Mr Johnson had a “mixed reception”, but added: “I think, in general, there was still more applause than booking … I don’t think he bothered. has a skin like a rhino “. Mr. Johnson was photographed on the show with Environment Secretary George Justis, just hours before the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall arrived. Tory lawmakers and No. 10 officials have shared concerns that the seat could fall to the Liberal Democrats when voters go to the polls on June 23, despite the overwhelming majority in the 2019 general election. The midterm elections erupted after the resignation of former Conservative MP Neil Parish, who became the focus of a political storm after admitting to watching pornography on his phone in the House of Commons. Despite the predominantly rural seat overwhelmingly voting in favor of the Tories in the 2019 election – the party majority was over 24,000 – officials are worried that the seat could fall to Davey’s party in a fortnight. The Liberal Democrats are seeking to take advantage of the continuing concern over the precarious position of the prime minister and his deep anger over the Partygate scandal, which resulted in a fine being imposed on Mr Johnson by the Metropolitan Police. With Mr Johnson’s position at No. 10 in the spotlight after Monday’s vote of confidence, a 13-day defeat to Tiverton and Honiton could rekindle calls for his resignation. Earlier this week, Tory’s candidate for Tiverton and Honiton declined to say how he would vote in the motion of censure for Mr Johnson’s leadership if he were a Member of Parliament. Ms Harford, a former director, described the question as “irrelevant”, saying she was not “in Westminster” and added that it was time to “move on” as the prime minister had narrowly survived Monday’s vote. The same day, another by-election will be held in Wakefield – sparked by the resignation of a Tory lawmaker found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old. The former Labor stronghold voted for the Conservatives in the 2019 general election, but is widely expected to be recovered from Sir Keir Starmer’s party on June 23.
