SHEFFIELD ROUND-UP: Strong grip on power holds despite challenge from rivals

One of Labour's best-known figures, David Blunkett, comfortably held Brightside and Hillsborough with a majority of 13,632 though, as in other Sheffield seats, the Lib Dems performed much better than they did nationally.

Challenger Jonathan Harston trailed in second place with 7,768 but this still represented a 10.8 per cent swing from Labour. Mr Blunkett has held the seat, which now includes part of the old Hillsborough constituency, since 1987.

It was a similar story in neighbouring Sheffield South East, where Clive Betts won with a majority of 10,505 but Gail Smith picked up 23.3 per cent of the vote in second place – a swing of nine per cent to the Lib Dems.

The constituency, formerly Sheffield Attercliffe, has been held by Mr Betts since 1992.

Meg Munn was re-elected in Sheffield Heeley but also faced a surge from the Lib Dems who halved her majority.

She won by 5,807 votes from Simon Clement-Jones – representing a 9.2 per cent swing away from Labour.

Aside from the tight contest in Sheffield Central, the closest result was in the newly-formed constituency of Penistone and Stocksbridge. The seat is an amalgamation of parts of the old Sheffield Hillsborough and Barnsley West and Penistone constituencies and represented the Tories' best showing in the area. Angela Smith, who held the old Hillsborough seat for Labour, was re-elected but only with a majority of 3,049. The swing away from Labour – of 7.5 per cent – was this time to the Tories.