Election campaign
Leaders’ campaign visits: the totals so far
The election campaign is a week old. How are the main party leaders getting on in notching up those all-important visits to key constituencies and marginal seats?
First, the prime minister.
The colour is that of the party which won the seat in 2010; the number is their majority.
David Cameron has ticked off two of the Tories’ most vulnerable constituencies, both of which are top Labour targets. But he’s also spent a fair bit of time in safe Labour seats in the north-west, while only dropping in on one Conservative target: Chippenham. There’s still plenty of time for him to come good on his promise to visit “all four corners of all four nations” of the UK, however.
The Labour leader has visited the fewest number of seats so far. But he’s chosen a greater number of pertinent destinations than his Tory counterpart. Four of the five have been Tory marginals and Labour targets. West Ham is on the list by virtue of it hosting the Olympic Park, where Miliband and his team launched Labour’s campaign.
The Lib Dem leader has clocked up the most number of miles and is the only one of the main leaders to date who has ventured outside England. At this rate he’ll have visited every existing Lib Dem seat in the country, though I’ve seen speculation that the foray to Stalybridge & Hyde was possibly a mistake, with Clegg and co thinking they were actually in the neighbouring Lib Dem seat of Hazel Grove. It’s also a bit bold of the deputy prime minister to visit the likes of Oxford West & Abingdon and Watford: seats his party has no chance of gaining from the Tories.
If you’re wondering what Nigel Farage has been up to, he’s yet to venture beyond south-east England. The furthest he’s travelled is Dover. But he’s vowed that from next week we’re going to see him “all over the place”, including Cornwall, the West Midlands and Lincolnshire. Maybe he thinks he’s got Thanet South in the bag.
UK elections 2015 
I’d imagine David Cameron wouldn’t have spent much time in Salford, Warrington and Manchester Central if the ITV debate hadn’t been happening there.
Nigel Farage was also in Manchester for the debate, so he has ‘ventured beyond south-east England’
He did indeed, but it wasn’t for a campaign visit. Cameron’s appearances in Salford, Warrington and Manchester Central were all campaign stops, at a hospital, school and rally respectively.
Well, I’d say Watford actually does have a chance of being won by the Lib Dems. The Lib Dem candidate for the seat is the very popular incumbent mayor. While still an outside bet, it’s by some margin the most believable chance for a Lib Dem gain.
Also, even if in his heart of hearts he knows that the campaign will be an exercise in damage limitation, it is hardly good publicity to visit only seats with 5000+ Lib Dem majorities as it reinforces the narrative.
Both Miliband and Clegg have visited Hornsey
http://www.haringeyindependent.co.uk/news/11840058.Deputy_Prime_Minister_Nick_Clegg_visits_school/
http://www.haringeyindependent.co.uk/news/10798723.Ed_Miliband_visits_Hornsey/?ref=nt
It’s surprising that the Lib Dems haven’t just cut their losses and left Ms. Featherstone to swim or sink.
Cheers. Both those visits pre-date the start of the official campaign, however, so I won’t be able to count them in my tally!
I think Nick Clegg will visit all 57 LD seats won at GE 2010 plus a few others of course.
Incumbency very significant in LD seats and Nick will put every effort into those where LD MP has retired including Hazel Grove!
Another vote for the Lib Dems having an outside chance in Watford.
Local constituency conditions show that several Lib Dem gains from Conservatives are possible.