CONSERVATIVE party chairman Sir Patrick McLoughlin visited Southampton to support Tory election candidate Paul Holmes, who is bidding to oust Labour’s Alan Whitehead in the city's Test constituency.

Speaking to Echo the day after both Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May were grilled on TV by Jeremy Paxman.

Paxman challenged the Prime minister's u-turns on Brexit, national insurance increases for the self-employed and the so-called dementia tax.

Sir Patrick said he thought the debate showed Mrs May “in a determined mode as to what the challenges are about this general election and what the next few years are going to be all about”.

“You say they are u turns but the simple fact was parliament voted for the general election and I think it’s the right thing to do because the Brexit negotiations are going to be so important to the future of this country.”

Asked about the NHS and the new children’s hospital at Southampton General, Sir Patrick denied there was a move towards privatisation.

He said: “The simple fact is we are committed to the health service. We have promised an extra £8bn and if you said the building is already underway it’s been started by a conservative government so that shows our commitment.

“What is essential for the health service is that you have a stronger economy so you can run the health service."

Mr Holmes said: “There is a clear choice in the election the woman we need to lead around the negotiating table versus a leader of the Labour party that cannot run his own party.”

Also standing in Test are Thomas Gravatt for the Lib Dems, Independent Keith Morrell, and Southampton Independents candidate Andrew Pope.

Mr Morrell criticised the "under funding" of the NHS.

"It is criminal that appeals have to be made to the public to provide vital services such as the new children's unit" at Southampton hospital. "We must all fight for a fully funded comprehensive health service," he said.