Tories celebrate a haul of prize trophies from across region

THE Conservatives are today celebrating a spectacularly successful election in Yorkshire, which saw them seize one of their most highly-prized seats – and claim a prominent Labour scalp.

The swing to the Tories from Labour across the region was 6.7 per cent as they took Harrogate, Dewsbury, Elmet and Rothwell, Keighley, Calder Valley, Pudsey, Cleethorpes, Brigg and Goole and High Peak.

Victory in Dewsbury ejected Communities Minister Shahid Malik, who saw his majority of 4,500 overturned by Simon Reevell, who gained a majority of 1,526.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It was a frustrating night of losses for Labour, though one of the Tories' key targets, Schools Secretary Ed Balls, squeaked home in the new Morley and Outwood seat with a majority of just over 1,000 – slashed from his previous notional majority of 8,000.

It was also a difficult night for the Lib Dems. Their only gain was taking Bradford East from Labour, and there was good news in Leeds North West, where Greg Mulholland quadrupled his majority. The smaller parties, including Ukip, the Greens and the BNP failed to make any real impact in the polls.

One of the biggest Conservative celebrations came with regaining Harrogate and Knaresborough after 13 years, following the retirement of Lib Dem incumbent Phil Willis. Voters delivered a 9.1 per cent swing to the Tories, sending Andrew Jones to Westminster with a slender majority of 1,039 after he saw off a strong challenge from the Lib Dems' Claire Kelley – and a notional majority of almost 8,000 – that had been backed up by high-profile visits from Nick Clegg and Vince Cable.

But a high turnout of 70 per cent saw Mr Jones victorious in a seat that the Conservative high command had long felt should never have been lost to the Lib Dems in the first place.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Willis had won it when he stood against former Chancellor Norman Lamont, who ran a lacklustre campaign in 1997 – the year that Tony Blair swept to power with a landslide victory.

Support for Mr Willis, a popular MP, had waned when he became caught up in the expenses scandal which saw his daughter living in a flat that taxpayers' money had helped to improve.

Mr Jones said: "I did have confidence but I knew it would be close. There was movement to us throughout the campaign in canvassing and we had some very enthusiastic support. I never felt anything other than that this would be a very close election and that both parties were in with a shout."

The Conservatives' regional chairman, Robert Semple said: "The Conservative Party across Yorkshire and the Humber has much to be pleased about today. In West Yorkshire we have made strong advances by winning in places like Pudsey, Elmet and Rothwell and Dewsbury. In North Yorkshire I pay tribute to our team in Harrogate and Knaresborough who overturned a large Liberal Democrat majority. There have been large swings to the Conservatives in the Labour heartlands of South Yorkshire.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"I am proud of the Conservative Party's achievements across Yorkshire and the Humber and am certain our new Conservative MPs will live up to the expectations of the people who have put their faith in them."

Alec Shelbrooke took Elmet and Rothwell; Keighley fell to Kris Hopkins, Pudsey to Stuart Andrew and Cleethorpes to Martin Vickers. The biggest single swing of the evening, 9.8 per cent, was in Brigg and Goole, which was taken by Andrew Percy from the Labour incumbent, Ian Cawsey. In Calder Valley, Craig Whittaker won out against his Labour rival Steph Booth – stepmother of Cherie Blair – who was hoping to succeed Chris McCafferty, who had stepped down.

There were no surprises for Tory grandees in the region, with both William Hague, in Richmond, and David Davis, in Haltemprice and Howden brushing off all challenges. In Scarborough, Robert Goodwill saw his majority soar from just over 1,000 to more than 8,000.

But there were worrying swings away from Labour even in its traditional heartlands, where senior figures saw their majorities slashed by voters turning to the Conservatives. In Doncaster, former Europe Minister Caroline Flint's majority was more than halved from 8,598 to 3,595, and Yorkshire Minister Rosie Winterton had hers cut by by more than 3,000. In Derbyshire North East, Natascha Engel saw her majority fall by more than 7,000.

One of the tightest races of the night involved the veteran Great Grimsby Labour MP Austin Mitchell, whose majority was cut from almost 8,000 to just 714.