Top gay Labour MPs hold onto their seats with reduced majorities
The most high-profile out gay Labour MPs held onto their seats last night but most suffered a reduction in their majorities.
Ben Bradshaw, for Exeter, won with 38.2 per cent, with Tory candidate Hannah Foster behind on 33 per cent. He suffered a reduced majority.
This will be his fourth term in the seat, despite predictions that the contest could down to just a few hundred votes either way.
In Rhondda, Chris Bryant polled 55.3 per cent of the vote, although he too lost some of his majority with a 7.5 per cent swing to Plaid Cyrmu.
Angela Eagle held onto her Wallasey seat with 51.8 per cent of the vote.
Nick Brown won with 45 per cent of the vote in Newcastle Upon Tyne East but experienced a 4.6 per cent swing to the Liberal Democrats.
Stephen Twigg and Clive Betts also retained their seats.
Mr Twigg, in Liverpool West Derby, was far ahead of his Liberal Democrat rival, with 64.1 per cent, compared to the latter’s 12.5 per cent. He enjoyed a swing of 3.2 per cent to Labour from the Liberal Democrats.
Mr Betts won 48.7 per cent of the vote but suffered a nine per cent swing to Liberal Democrat. His Liberal Democrat rival Gail Smith polled 23.3 per cent of the vote.
However, David Borrow, for the new South Ribble seat, lost to Conservative candidate Lorraine Fullbrook.
The seat was number 52 on the Tories’ list of target seats and Mr Borrow polled only 34.7 per cent of the vote, compared to Ms Fullbrook’s 45.4 per cent.
As of 8.50am, Berwick-Upon-Tweed, where Alan Strickland is a candidate, has yet to be called.
