The last General Election in 2019 saw a two-way fight in the constituency between the Conservatives and SNP, with Tory candidate John Lamont winning the day on that occasion.
But times are a changin’, according to Lib Dem candidate Ray Georgeson, an award-winning recycling campaigner, who believes there will be a tight race come General Election day July 4, between his party, the Conservatives, SNP and a re-emerging Labour Party.
His view has been bolstered by the reaction he has received on the doorstep and because of the Liberal tradition in the region, dating back to when David Steel was MP for the area in the 1960s and 70s.
Mr Georgeson, who was leader of Otley Town Council in Yorkshire from 2015-19, relocated to Duns several years ago with his family and they are now proud to call the Borders their home and are busy getting involved in various sporting and cultural activities.
If elected his priorities would be to focus on a fair deal for farmers, affordable homes for young families, an improved rural bus network, sustainable economic and tourism development and to campaign for vital NHS services, tackling waiting lists and protecting local hospitals.
Mr Georgeson, a senior manager with a major Scottish environmental organisation, said: “This constituency was a traditional Liberal stronghold going back to David Steel and Archie Kirkwood and Michael Moore, who lost the seat in 2015 to the SNP and then Calum Kerr lost it to John Lamont in 2017.
“So in the last decade this seat has been Liberal, it’s been SNP and Tory – they’re quite used to changing their minds around here.
“I know politicians always say this but we have had a good response and a friendly response, mainly, from folk we have met when we are out and about.
“I hear a bit of you know ‘we always supported the Liberals’ and ‘it’s good to see you back’, we’ve heard a bit of that and that’s mixed up with genuine, and I mean genuine, unhappiness, anger, actually, with the Conservatives in Westminster and then you mix that up with a lot of disappointment with the SNP in Holyrood, and there are plenty of folk saying they don’t know what to do and there’s also a bit of a plague on all your houses, we’re not going to bother.
“I think it is possibly a four way fight. I think it’s anybody’s call. The Tory vote is very definitely soft, as is the SNP’s. They are trying to capitalise on saying this is a two-horse race because it suits them both.
“We’re working as hard as we possibly can with all the resources available to us to meet people, get a good election address out and put a positive case for good hard-working Liberal champions in the House of Commons.”