Tories target Bradshaw
Other Cabinet ministers will be targeted, including Ed Balls and the Chancellor, Alistair Darling. All are sitting on majorities of 9000 or under.
Ben Bradshaw has a 7,500 vote advantage in Exeter and looks vulnerable. He will need a high personal vote to keep him in Parliament next time round.
The source said, “We are after some big scalps. Some of the more comfortable MPs, including Cabinet ministers, are starting to see more political activity. Those efforts will be stepped up.
“We not going to move ahead of ourselves but a number of senior ministers could go if the swing to us moves into double digits. Some Cabinet ministers should not feel safe. If we maintain a 12 point lead certain ministers, who would otherwise be taking a high profile role in Labour’s campaign, will be penned into their constituencies much more than they would prefer to be.”
The Daily Telegraph quotes the shadow cabinet source as saying, “Certain Labour Party big beasts, and they know who they are, are already experiencing more activity on the ground from us.
“We are going to make Ed Balls and Alistair Darling and some of their ministerial colleagues feel very uncomfortable. They will not only be fighting their most difficult general election campaign on a national front in two decades but they will also have really tricky contests in their own constituencies.”
The General Election must be held by early June next year. Although May is said to be the likeliest date, an autumn poll can’t be ruled out at this stage.
