The British election is not close. But the race in Bicester is
A potential Tory leader-in-waiting is in a three-way fight
LABOUR WILL, barring the greatest polling upset in British political history, win the general election on July 4th. But if you think the race is boring, take a visit to Bicester and Woodstock in Oxfordshire. In ordinary times, the constituency should be a shoo-in for Rupert Harrison, the Conservative candidate, a centrist who was once considered the “real chancellor” as an adviser to George Osborne during the coalition government and is tipped as a future party leader. Instead he is embroiled in a ferocious battle with Calum Miller, a Liberal Democrat councillor, and Veronica Oakeshott, the Labour candidate, who has a background in the charity sector.
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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Unlikely place for a dogfight”
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From the June 29th 2024 edition
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