Labour and Lib Dems inflict big Tory losses

A group of people stand together, all wearing yellow Liberal Democrat rosette pins, in the centre is Liz Jarvis
Image caption,

Liz Jarvis (centre) gained a seat for the Liberal Democrats from the Conservatives in Eastleigh

  • Published

The Liberal Democrats and Labour celebrated general election wins across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight as the Conservatives saw eight of its seats wiped out.

Of the 21 constituencies, the Tories now hold 11 while Labour held two and gained five.

The Lib Dems won three seats.

One of Labour's gains came in Portsmouth North, with Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt narrowly losing her seat to Amanda Martin.

Image source, PA Media
Image caption,

Penny Mordaunt spoke after losing her seat in the Portsmouth North constituency

Ms Martin won with 14,495 votes to Ms Mordaunt's 13,715 - an 18% swing.

Ms Mordaunt said of the result: "Tonight the Conservative Party has taken a battering because it failed to honour the trust people put in it."

There were a number of alterations to boundaries prior to this election, including the splitting of the Isle of Wight in two.

The west of the island voted in Labour's Richard Quigley and the east went for Joe Robertson from the Conservatives.

Mr Quigley beat Conservative Bob Seely, who had held the island as a single constituent previously. Also a Tory stronghold since 1997.

Mr Quigley said: “Change is massive, but you see time after time the lack of hope people have had over the last 14 years so that return of hope is crucial."

Mr Robertson added: “Most important issues on the island is for young and working age people to feel they have a future here."

Image caption,

Labour's Richard Quigley took the seat in Isle of Wight East

Back on the mainland in Southampton, Labour's Satvir Kaur and Darren Paffey won Test and Itchen, respectively.

Former leader of Southampton City Council, Ms Kaur, said winning the Southampton Test parliamentary seat was the "greatest honour of my life".

She retained the seat for Labour, previously held by the party's Alan Whitehead, increasing their majority to 9,333.

Romsey and Southampton North stayed with Conservative Caroline Noakes.

The New Forest also stayed blue, with Desmond Swayne (West) and Julian Lewis (East) retaining their seats.

Media caption,

Suella Braverman says sorry as she holds seat

Havant, Gosport and Fareham & Waterlooville all remained Conservative, returning Alan Mak, Caroline Dinenage and Suella Braverman respectively.

In the heart of the county, Eastleigh and Winchester elected the Liberal Democrats' Liz Jarvis and Danny Chambers, while the new Hamble Valley returned Conservative Paul Holmes.

Finally to the north of the county, Basingstoke has its first Labour MP after Luke Murphy overturned a 16,000 Conservative majority.

Aldershot voted in Labour's Alex Baker, while North East Hampshire went for Liberal Democrat Alex Brewer.

Farnham & Bordon, North West Hampshire and East Hampshire, returned the Conservatives Greg Stafford, Kit Malthouse and Damian Hinds respectively.