Hoping to hang on to what is normally a safe Conservative seat is Kevin Hollinrake in Thirsk and Malton.

The government minister was elected in 2019 with a massive 25,154 majority, gaining 63% of the vote, but based on current polling, Electoral Calculus estimates Mr Hollinrake is less than 5% ahead of Labour, and his chances of winning are just over 60%.

However, after launching his campaign in Old Malton, the 60-year-old son of a milkman dad and social worker mum from Easingwold, reports ‘a good vibe’ amongst his team, keen the spread the Tory message and warn about Labour’s ‘socialism.’

First elected in 2015, following the deselection of Anne McIntosh, Mr Hollinrake, who co-founded the Hunters estate agency chain, says he and the government have shown their effectiveness and delivered many things.

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Among them, was him successfully campaigning against a proposed asylum centre at Linton-on-Ouse and helping secure funding for the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

Setting out his stall, the minister says he is keen to deliver affordable housing for rent and purchase and improve access to GPs and dental care.

He will also continue to campaign for upgrades to the A64, a decision on which has been delayed due to the General Election on July 4.

The supporter of ‘levelling up’ also wants more government money spent outside London and the Southeast.

As Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business, Kevin also seeks to help small businesses.

York Press: Kevin Hollinrake helped settle the Horizon IT scandal at the Post Office

He recalls how the government “pumped hundreds of millions” to help them survive the pandemic and its damaging lockdowns, which Labour and other commentators wanted more of.

“Boris and Rishi took brave actions (in re-opening the economy). They suffered huge criticism in attempting to do that,” Kevin told the Press.

Since 2022, he has been Post Office minister, keeping responsibility for it despite a promotion earlier this year. The role saw him deal with the Horizon IT scandal and its wrongful convictions.

He helped with a parliamentary bill that quashed the wrongful convictions of more than 700 Post Office managers. This allows them to receive compensation and overall “70% of claims have been settled.”

Kevin says he is not complacent and will campaign for a PM in Rishi Sunak who has “changed things around.”

He continued: “I have a record of action and delivery. I’m keen to continue that work.”

“We have made our mistakes but done good things. We have got people through two difficult once-in-a-lifetime crises [the pandemic and the Cost of Living crisis].”

And should the voters of the redrawn Thirsk and Malton turf out their long-serving MP, the accomplished businessman added: “It’s a big, wide, world out there. I’ll accept the result and move on.”

The other candidates to date are Lisa Banes (Labour), Steve Mason (Liberal Democrats), Richard McLane (Green), Mark Robinson (Reform UK), and Nicholas Sanders (SDP).