Small boats and Tory mutineers: Can veteran Mike Tapp win Dover and Deal?

Following several years of discussion about the collapse of the so-called “red wall” at the last general election, eyes are now turning towards the “blue wall”.

Labour hopes to oust Conservatives across South East England on a scale not seen since the days of New Labour.

The newly-named constituency of Dover and Deal is one of those crucial for success. With a population experts suggest is broadly representative of the country at large, LabourList analysis suggests winning here on the Kent coast would signal Labour is on track to secure a working majority of at least a few dozen MPs.

It has of course attracted significant attention too following the controversial defection to Labour of the outgoing former Conservative MP Natalie Elphicke.

READ MORE: East Thanet: Inside the battle for coastal ex-UKIP stronghold not won since 2005

While now a Labour seat, Mike Tapp is hoping to overturn an almost 13,000-vote majority the Tories secured in 2019 in the constituency, which has also been the frontline for discussion around immigration and asylum.

Speaking exclusively to LabourList in the final days of the general election campaign, Tapp said the campaign so far had been “pretty smooth sailing” and said: “The reception on the doors has remained very good – it’s just a case of getting to the end and getting our vote out.”

‘Immigration is a big topic’

Tapp was selected as Labour’s candidate back in 2022 and, despite having campaigned for two years, he said the issues being raised haven’t shifted.

He said: “The top issues are the cost of living – and I imagine that is the same in most places, and the NHS – seeing a GP and waiting times, but also A&E visits and the trauma people have from that.

“Immigration is also a big topic – it is sometimes second top, sometimes third depending where you are in the constituency.”

READ MORE: Could Labour take ‘non-battleground’ Tory seats across the South West?

Despite the presence of immigration as a key issue among some voters, Tapp said there hasn’t been a surge in support for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

“As you get closer to an election and the smaller parties put forward their candidates, some of those undecideds are naturally going to go to some of those parties, but there’s nothing of any major concern. What we are seeing, still, on the doors, is consistent Conservative voters switching to the Labour Party in high numbers.”

It was fantastic to have @abenaopp and @EmilyThornberry in Aylesham yesterday.

Thank you for your continued support.

Less than two weeks to go!

Don’t forget to vote Labour with your postal vote 🗳️ 🌹🇬🇧#Dover #Deal #VoteLabour #Tapp24 pic.twitter.com/btFkluENqB

— Mike Tapp (@MikeTappTweets) June 21, 2024

‘Everybody seems to know who I am’

One of the benefits of being selected such a while ago has been greater knowledge in the constituency of who Tapp is, he explained.

“Everybody seems to know who I am, and that has come from a long campaign of door-knocking, but also a fantastic digital campaign. We’ve also run a really effective visual war.

READ MORE: Sign up to our must-read daily briefing email on all things Labour

“We’ve got hundreds of garden stakes up and thousands of posters, so the name recognition has gone through the roof since the short campaign started.

“We’ve been hyper-focused on targeting the areas we need to win a majority. The support I’ve had in this seat has been absolutely incredible.

Stories from the doorstep

Being a candidate can come with its benefits and its challenges, but for Tapp he said they have crossed over on the campaign trail.

“Knocking on doors is such a privilege that people will allow you that snapshot into their life.

READ MORE: Sheffield Hallam: ‘Can Labour’s Olivia Blake hold on in Nick Clegg’s old seat?’

“I’ve seen people at their most desperate times. One was a woman who was sat in her car, crying because she had run out of petrol. She was on a zero-hours contract and she had been ill a few weeks before, so she was convinced she was going to lose that job. It was one of those examples of in-work poverty.

“Another woman told me that just five minutes before, she had found out her mum had cancer. I was going to leave her to it, but she wanted to talk. It’s these snapshots into people’s lives that are beautiful but also really difficult – but that really motivates you. That desire to serve goes up after every doorknock.”

‘Military values are reflected in Labour’

Tapp, who served in the military, the National Crime Agency and the Ministry of Defence, said that the values instilled in him from his time serving the country are ones he would carry into office with him; those being integrity, discipline and deduction.

“In many operations that I have been involved in, we’ve been working against the odds. Without that teamwork and that discipline, you simply cannot deliver – and that’s what we’ve been doing with our campaign and what I will take through if I have the privilege of being elected the MP,” he said.

READ MORE: Battle of the bar charts in Wimbledon: Inside a rare election three-horse race

Tapp said he had been a Labour member for a long time and said: “If you look at the values within the military, that’s exactly what you see with the Labour Party.”

‘All about service’

Tapp explained that his dad, who served in the police, is a source of inspiration for him. For his dad, the job was “all about service”, Tapp said.

“His absolute dedication to service that I saw growing up has well and truly rubbed off on me. He’s carried on doing that since he left – he does a lot of charity work now as well.”

For Tapp, public service is everything. “My ambitions have been about how I can make the country better, how I can make people’s lives better. A lot of that has been centred around national security and protecting people. Moving forward, I will continue that service for the people here.”

Read more of our 2024 general election coverage:

Meet NHS doctor Zubir Ahmed, fighting one of Scotland’s tightest marginals

Brighton Pavilion: As Starmer visits, can Labour win the Greens’ one seat?

Labour wants a new generation of new towns. Can it win in Milton Keynes?

Meet Gordon McKee, the 29-year-old son of a welder vying for Glasgow South

‘How can I help Labour this election? The party insider’s guide to campaigning’

Revealed: The battlegrounds attracting most activists as 17,000 sign up

SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour or the election – contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected]. 

SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning. 

DONATE: If you value our work, please donate to become one of our supporters here and help sustain and expand our coverage.

PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or content, email [email protected].