Chris Huhne

Local jobs, growth and businesses are a key priority for Chris, who both ran a small business and is an economist by background. Chris has worked with Eastleigh Borough Council, which has won national recognition as a beacon council for its work encouraging small business through, for example, Wessex House which provides space for start-ups. Many of those businesses have gone on to thrive and grow, employing hundreds of local people. Wessex House has been one of the reasons why Eastleigh has managed to withstand the decline of many of the area’s traditional engineering manufacturers and the railway works.

A recent success of the council, strongly supported by Chris Huhne, has been attracting the multi-screen Vue cinema to Eastleigh, helping to maintain the town centre despite the competition of three major supermarkets along the M27: Asda, Sainsbury and Tesco. Chris also backs the council in supporting the expansion and modernization of the Hampshire Rosebowl, so that the county cricket ground can host international test cricket as well as business conferences.

Eastleigh is increasingly becoming the preferred location for many businesses and public sector organizations wanting to serve Hampshire, thanks to its key location at the centre of the county. Recently, both the Hampshire NHS trust and the Hampshire Constabulary have opted to base themselves in Eastleigh. Chris maintains contact with many businesses across the constituency, helping them fight red tape and excessive bureaucracy. Chris is pictured here at Prysmian in Eastleigh.