‘We need a voice in London’: Ford makes pitch to voters on last day of campaign

PC Leader Doug Ford made a campaign stop in London ahead of Election Day Thursday. CTV London’s Bryan Bicknell reports.

Ontario PC leader Doug Ford visited London Wednesday, one of a number of stops for the last day of the provincial election campaign.

He’s trying to break through in ridings where Tories have been shut out for the last two elections.

While visiting Armo Tool, a manufacturing plant in east London, Ford received a hero’s welcome from employees. He sported a red and white jersey with the word ‘NEVER’ on the back, and handed out hats saying ‘Canada, Not For Sale.’ It’s all part of his stand against U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats of tariffs and talk of annexation. The PC leader hit all the right notes with this crowd of manufacturing workers, saying he’s prepared to bring the fight to Trump.

“Thirty-six hundred products are coming in from the U.S. They’re done. They’re gone the second he puts one tariff on us. That’s over a billion dollars. The electricity. You know that’s 1.5 million homes. We keep the lights on with their businesses in New York state, in Michigan, in Minnesota. And I can tell you that’s one tool we will not hesitate to use,” exclaimed Ford.

The PCs currently hold one of four ridings in the London region, with Rob Flack as the PC incumbent in Elgin-Middlesex-London. The remaining three ridings are held by the NDP.

Ford said London is very much in his sights in his bid to form a third majority.

“We need a voice for London. Because right now, London doesn’t have too loud of a voice and we’re still showing them tonnes of love,” said Ford.

This is Ford’s second visit to London during the campaign. It follows NDP Leader Marit Stiles’ campaign stops in London Monday and Tuesday - her second visit also. Notably absent from the London region during this campaign has been Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie. But it may be more than just a simple admission that it could be hard for the Grits to break through in any of the four local ridings.

Kings University College political scientist Jacquie Newman said the three NDP incumbents are solidly embedded, “So it may be that the Liberals have looked at this and said, ‘So we could get involved. What would happen if we get involved there with strong incumbents, is that all we’re going to do is split the vote and we end up with more Conservatives in Queens Park.’”

Ford was joined at his London stop by London Fanshawe PC candidate Pete Vanderley. Also running in London Fanshawe are NDP incumbent Teresa Armstrong, Liberal Kevin May, and the Green Party’s Wil Osbourne-Sorrel.