Ben Goldsborough became the first MP from his party to represent South Norfolk for more than 70 years when he won the seat last year and is expected to face a tough fight to hold on to it.

But he said he was confident he could retain it, and predicted the main challenge would not come from Reform, which has been surging in the polls and has won a string of Norfolk council by-elections.

Rather, he said, it was a Conservative revival that was likely to be his biggest challenge.

Labour MP Ben Goldsborough (Image: Newsquest)

"Of course I plan to stand again. It's the best job you'll ever have in your life," he said.

"I don't think Reform's a big problem. The Tories are," he added.

“I’m getting really positive reactions from constituents because, let’s be brutally honest, they’ve been taken for granted.

“It’s been seen as the same Conservative seat for so long.

"Now it’s a marginal seat. That means I fight bloody hard for my constituents - and that’s being recognised.

Conservative MP Richard Bacon held the seat from 2001 to 2024 (Image: ARCHANT NORFOLK PHOTOGRAPHIC vÉÄövǬ© 2010)

"I've got really good name recognition. I would say this is a seat definitely to watch for a surprise."

He added: “I think people are writing off places like South Norfolk and writing off rural constituencies,” he said.

“But this is the reverse of what happened with the red wall - this is a blue wall.

“It was taken for granted for so long. Now people are seeing what happens when someone knows the seat isn’t guaranteed and has to fight tooth and nail for it.”

Perhaps........

© Norwich Evening News