SOUTHAMPTON, Itchen MP John Denham has said that the Labour party has a real chance of winning the Basingstoke seat in the 2015 General Election.

The MP, who has served as one of two MPs in the city since 1992, supported Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate for the Basingstoke seat, Dr Paul Harvey, at the official launch of his campaign, this morning.

The pair met with the chief executive of Basingstoke hospital, Mary Edwards, and discussed the current position of the hospital and plans for a new critical care centre in North Waltham.

Following the visit, Mr Denham told The Gazette: “I think it is a great opportunity for the party to win this seat.

“In Basingstoke, there are large numbers of people who work hard. People at the top will feel represented by the Government but hard working families in Basingstoke don’t feel like that. 

“I have known Paul for many years and he is an outstanding candidate. He is well rooted in the town and he doesn’t have a home somewhere else.

“It is a really good chance, and with UKIP eroding the Conservative vote in the town, that would open up all sorts of possibilities.”

When asked what he thought about the expenses scandal that saw Basingstoke MP Maria Miller resign from her position as Culture Secretary in April, he added: “I am not a Basingstoke person but I can imagine the MP has been subject to local criticism, and people will be looking for an outstanding individual as their next MP.

“It seemed to be particularly bad what she did and the way she handled it. When you deal with criticism in public life, you have to be upfront and clear.

“There have been parties over time where people assumed in Basingstoke once you got in, you could do what you like, but I think that is changing now. Voters are more fluid so fewer and fewer politicians feel they have got a safe seat.”

And the Southampton, Itchen MP pledged his support for the new critical care hospital which is expected to open in North Waltham in 2018.

He said: “It was interesting to be briefed on the new hospital. It is very exciting and it is a completely different way of organising services.

“What was quite attractive was the number of experts across the two hospitals (Basingstoke and Winchester), and the number of consultants who can offer 24/7 care in the new hospital, which you would struggle to do in a smaller hospital. This is the way the National Health Service should be going but it is working together to have the best possible service and care.”