BRIGG AND GOOLE: National factors blamed for marginal swing

Ian Cawsey, who had represented the constituency since 1997, saw his victory margin of 3,000 votes in 2005 wiped out by Tory opponent Andrew Percy.

The party achieved one of the biggest swings in the region against Labour of nearly 10 per cent on a turnout of 65 per cent of the electorate.

Mr Percy, a former councillor in Hull who is currently a teacher in Scunthorpe, said he was honoured to win the seat which followed more than three years of hard work since he was selected to fight the marginal which was one of the Conservatives' top targets in the Yorkshire region.

A number of issues were significant during the campaign including worries over the economy, business failures and unemployment as well as local problems including port taxes, crime in the largely rural area and the cost of tolls over the Humber Bridge.

He said these had combined with the general unpopularity of the Government to give him the seat on a swing which would have handed the Conservatives an outright majority if it had been replicated across the country.

"It was a big swing – I'm sure David Cameron is wishing we had got that nationally," he said.

"For me it's about representing this area in Parliament and being a strong voice for this area."

Mr Cawsey, who had held the seat since Tony Blair's landslide in 1997, was yesterday philosophical in defeat which he blamed on a number of national factors which affected his vote.

"Its a truism of political life that if you represent a marginal constituency eventually you will lose it and clearly the electorate thought it was time to have a different Government," he said.

"People were extremely nice and friendly to me and told me I did a good job as a local representative and had no problem with my professionalism."

Mr Cawsey added: "This was a difficult election for the Labour Party.

"We didn't start in a great position in the polls and didn't really go anywhere in the campaign."

He said he had thoroughly enjoyed his time as an MP and serving local people.

He added that he now planned to take a break to recharge his batteries but hoped to take up another role working in the community.

"It's been a fascinating experience representing such a large and diverse constituency which has such different needs from the ports in the north, the agriculture in the Isle of Axeholme and the steel-making in the south end," he said.

"If I'd been told when I was elected that it would last for 13 years, I'd have taken that.

"The kindness of local people has been a real joy.

"I'm not the sort of person who can sit idle for too long.

"Hopefully I will be able to find something dealing with the community or the public – that's what I like doing."

UKIP leader Lord Pearson had wanted his party not to stand against Mr Percy in the seat but was overruled by local activists.

The decision did not affect the outcome of the election as the party's candidate picked up fewer than 1,800 votes, a share of only four per cent of the total poll.