Gareth Streeter has been selected as the parliamentary spokesman for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport. Streeter is the son of Gary Streeter, who represented Plymouth Sutton between 1992 and 1997 and South West Devon since 1997 and is retiring at the next election. Streeter (Jr) was the candidate for Rother Valley in 2015, when he placed third.
On his selection, Streeter said:“Plymouth is my home. I was born here, went to school here and spent years working for Plymouth’s businesses…Only the Conservatives can be trusted with Plymouth’s future. Labour remains in the grip of the militant left and a Labour Government will not prioritise spending on defence…I was brought up to believe that when it comes to politics, actions speak louder than words.”
A local source present at the selection told ConservativeHome that Streeter is “popular locally”, with his obvious links to the constituency, and has played “a key role” in a recent by-election. He is a “keen participant” in local campaigning sessions, and it was particularly popular with members that he lived in the local area. Streeter runs a communications consultancy business in the city and has written books about the late-medieval and early-Tudor periods.
Plymouth Sutton and Devonport was narrowly won by the Conservatives in 2010 and 2015, but turned to Labour in 2017 and remained so with a reduced majority in 2019. 95 per cent of the current constituency has remained after the recent boundary review. Keeping a Streeter in the Commons is likely an uphill battle, but ConservativeHome wishes him the best of luck.