General election 2024: Key winners in the West

There have been major changes in the political landscape of the West Country

Overnight, the West of England saw dramatic changes to its political landscape.

Some well-known and long-serving MPs lost their seats in what was a damaging night for the Conservatives.

Boundary changes have also created new constituencies in the area, with some MPs taking on brand new seats in Parliament.

After a night of twists and turns at counts across the West Country, here is a look at some of the key winners across the region.

Bristol's key winners

There was a Labour landslide in Bristol resulting in there now being no Conservative MPs remaining in the area.

Weston-super-Mare saw a "truly historic victory" after Dan Aldridge, the town's Labour candidate, gained a seat from the former Conservative MP, John Penrose.

It was an emotional moment for Mr Aldridge, who was joined by his mother and sister at the count.

"I promise I will work tirelessly, in the interest of everyone in Weston, and be a strong voice and representative for our whole town in Westminster," he said.

There was a voting turnout of 72.48%, with 53,943 people crossing a ballot box.

Sadik Al-Hassan is the Labour MP for North Somerset

After three decades of Conservative reign from Liam Fox, North Somerset is now a Labour seat.

Sadik Al-Hassan, a pharmacist from Patchway, said it was an "absolute honour" to be elected and he "cannot wait" to get to work.

It is the first time the area has been represented by a Labour MP in Parliament.

A total of 74,426 people cast their votes in the constituency, resulting in a turnout of 72%.

Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg lost to Labour's Dan Norris in North East Somerset and Hanham, and there was joy for the Green Party's Carla Denyer who gained Bristol Central from Labour's Thangham Debbonaire.

Gloucestershire's key winners

Gloucestershire saw a mixture of results, with gains from Labour and the Liberal Democrats, and only one Conservative hold.

Labour gained the constituency of Gloucester with Alex McIntyre beating former Conservative MP Richard Graham, who had held the position since 2010.

There was a turnout of 58%, with 79,475 voters making their choice for the future of the area.

Voters in the Forest of Dean elected Matt Bishop who narrowly beat Mark Harper, the former Conservative MP.

Speaking after the results, Mr Bishop said: “It’s been a long, short six weeks.

“I don’t underestimate the privilege… I’ll represent each and every one of you to the best of my ability."

There was a 67% voter turnout, with 72,052 people submitting a ballot.

Somerset's key winners

Rachel Gilmour was elected in Tiverton and Minehead

There were big changes across Somerset, where the Conservatives lost all but one of their seats, while the Liberal Democrats saw several gains.

Tiverton and Minehead is now a Liberal Democrat seat following the victory of Rachel Gilmour over Ian Liddell-Grainger of the Conservative Party.

Ms Gilmour reflected on the "wonderful women" in her life who helped shape her into the person she is today, including her mother, grandmother and former Latin teacher.

“I have won this not just for me, not just for the Liberal Democrats, but for you, the constituents," she said in her victory speech.

There was a turnout of 66%, with 71,843 people casting their vote in the constituency.

Adam Dance is the Liberal Democrat MP for Yeovil

It was the same story in Yeovil, where Adam Dance was elected as a Liberal Democrat MP, gaining the seat from Conservative candidate, Marcus Fysh.

Mr Dance said he was feeling "ecstatic" and "really proud" of the result.

“I will make sure that we have a constituency office which is open on a regular basis for members of the community to see me and my team face-to-face," he told BBC Radio Somerset.

There was a total of 79,700 votes cast, which was a 61% turnout.

Wiltshire's key winners

Wiltshire also saw several changes, with the introduction of new constituencies.

The South Cotswolds seat was formed this year and takes in almost half of the old Cotswold constituency.

It became a Liberal Democrat seat, following the victory of Roz Savage, who beat Conservative candidate, James Gray.

Ms Savage said: "There is so much that needs to be done. I am here to serve all of you, your families and your communities."

There was a 73% voter turnout, with 71,490 people making their choice.

Liberal Democrat candidate, Brian Mathew, was elected in Melksham and Devizes

It was also the first time that the public voted for a candidate in the new Melksham and Devizes ward.

Brian Mathew took the seat for the Liberal Democrats, beating the former Chippenham Conservative MP, Michelle Donelan.

He celebrated the win with his dog, Heidi.

“It’s a very, very exciting time. The priorities here are to work with the people... we've got to make a change," he said.

There was a turnout of 71%, with 71,999 people having their say.

Dramatic change

Never has the political map of the West changed so dramatically in a single night. A region which was previously a sea of Conservative blue has gone overwhelmingly Lib Dem yellow and Labour red.

The big names that fell are astonishing. Serving cabinet ministers like Mark Harper, Alex Chalk and Michelle Donelan. Former Secretaries of State like Jacob Rees-Mogg, Liam Fox and Robert Buckland. Some knew they were on the brink; in places like Cheltenham and South Swindon the Tory majorities last time were slender.

But others did not expect it. Liam Fox had represented North Somerset for three decades; the area has never had a Labour MP – until now. Michelle Donelan’s old seat was split up due to boundary changes; she chose Melksham and Devizes, thinking it was a safer bet. It wasn’t.

The Liberal Democrats took her out, and removed a string of other Conservatives, on their way to reinstating the West Country as a heartland. As the campaign progressed they had sensed things were looking better and better – but ending up with nearly half the area’s seats still exceeded all expectations.

Labour celebrated in places they had not expected, taking seats that had looked like outside chances. But they will be stung by the loss of Thangam Debbonaire in Bristol Central, ousted by the Greens’ Carla Denyer.

But the small party that many will feel has had the most influence for the least gain is Reform UK, who won no seats in the West. They polled strongly, which the Tories feel was at their expense.

Additional reporting by Paul Barltrop, Political Editor for BBC Points West.