What were the key election results in the East Midlands?
- Published
The results have been declared at constituencies across the East Midlands in the UK general election, with some major shocks emerging from the vote.
Labour made big gains across the region, but there were also notable wins for smaller parties and independent candidates.
Independent wins seat with rallying call 'for Gaza'
Shockat Adam Patel won Leicester South by fewer than 1,000 votes
Independent candidate Shockat Adam Patel caused a huge shock in Leicester South by narrowly beating Labour's Jon Ashworth.
Mr Patel secured 14,739 votes to Mr Ashworth's 13,760.
During his winning speech, Mr Patel said: "This is for Gaza".
"This was a grassroots, community, constituency-run campaign, which is an indication to those that have been in power for so long that you cannot forget the people that you serve," he added.
Mr Ashworth, who held the seat since 2007, said it had been "the greatest honour and privilege of my life" serving Leicester South for 13 years.
The departing Mr Ashworth congratulated Mr Patel but said he did not believe an independant MP would be able deliver for voters in Leicester South.
Shivani Raja won Leicester East for the Conservatives
Conservative Shivani Raja won Leicester East from Labour - the party's sole seat gained on election night.
She said she was "thrilled" to end nearly four decades of Labour dominance in the constituency.
Ms Raja beat Labour's Rajesh Agrawal into second place with a 4,426 majority.
The Liberal Democrats's Zuffar Haq came third.
Former MPs Claudia Webbe, who stood as an independent, and Keith Vaz, of One Leicester, who previously held the seat for 32 years, came fourth and fifth respectively.
Anderson holds Ashfield
Lee Anderson held on to his seat in Ashfield and secured a first win for Reform UK on the night.
Mr Anderson was elected as a Conservative in 2019 but was suspended earlier this year after refusing to apologise for claims Islamists had "control" of London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
He then defected to Reform UK.
He received 17,062 votes, with the Labour Party's Rhea Keehn finishing in second with 11,553 votes.
Lee Anderson first took the Ashfield seat as a Tory at the 2019 general election
He said "this wonderful place that I call my home" will have a "massive say" in how the country is shaped, adding: "I want my country back and Ashfield can play their part in that."
Ashfield Independent candidate Jason Zadrozny finished third with 6,276 votes.
Wipeout in Derbyshire
In Derbyshire, Labour gained nine seats from the Conservatives, while holding on to Derby South and Chesterfield.
Labour's Jon Pearce has won the High Peak seat from Conservative Robert Largan.
Linsey Farnsworth, who beat Nigel Mills to take the Amber Valley seat, said: "After 14 years of Conservative chaos, you've chosen change.
"I want to pay tribute to Nigel as the outgoing MP. I want to give you my personal assurance the constituency is safe in my hands."
John Whitby's victory in Derbyshire Dales marked a clean sweep for Labour in the county
Derbyshire Dales was won by John Whitby, who beat incumbent Sarah Dines by 350 votes.
Mr Whitby described the result as "historic" and said the country was "desperate to rid itself of the Conservative government that has fought itself and fought against the interests of its people".
Catherine Atkinson took Derby North from Amanda Solloway, while Jonathan Davies beat Luke Gardiner in Mid Derbyshire.
Louise Jones won the North East Derbyshire seat for Labour.
Conservative Lee Rowley, who vacates his seat after seven years, said: "If I have in any tiny way been able to help North East Derbyshire to progress, to get better, I'll be happy."
Samantha Niblett said she "will do everything I can" to deliver change
Labour’s Samantha Niblett won the South Derbyshire seat from Conservative MP of 14 years, Heather Wheeler.
Ms Niblett said: "I will work tirelessly in your interests and be the voice of the entire community down in Westminster."
Meanwhile, Ms Wheeler said: "I wish everybody well with the new incumbent. I regret everything that's happened, but it's a new dawn.
"Good luck South Derbyshire, you'll need it."
Labour's Adam Thompson took the Erewash seat with 17,224 votes (40.1%).
Maggie Throup, a Conservative who had held the seat since 2015, received 11,365 votes.
Natalie Fleet has won for Labour in Bolsover, pushing former Conservative MP Mark Fletcher into second place.
Ms Fleet received 17,197 votes (40.5%), while Mr Fletcher, who took the seat from Dennis Skinner in 2019, got 10,874 (25.6%).
Juliet Campbell is the new Labour MP for Broxtowe
In Nottinghamshire, Labour has gained Rushcliffe from the Conservatives - the first time the party has won in the constituency for 54 years.
James Naish, leader of Bassettlaw District Council, won the seat from Ruth Edwards with 25,291 votes.
Ms Edwards, who received 17,865 votes (30.9%), won the seat in 2019 with a majority of more than 7,600, having taken over from long-standing Tory MP, Lord Ken Clarke.
Reform UK's James Grice finished third with 6,353 votes (11%).
Labour also gained Broxtowe from the Conservatives, as Juliet Campbell claimed 15,579 votes (47.4%).
Conservative Darren Henry, husband of the former Nottinghamshire police and crime commissioner Caroline Henry, has lost his seat after receiving 11,158 votes (23.3%).
Lilian Greenwood has retained her seat in Nottingham South, with 15,579 votes (47.4%).
"We've waited 14 years for this, so you'll have to excuse me if I can't stop smiling," she said.
Tory candidate Zarmeena Quraishi finished second, with 5,285 votes (16.1%).
Last Tory in Nottinghamshire
Newark's Robert Jenrick is the last Conservative MP in Nottinghamshire.
He thanked his local team for their work, saying it was "a huge compliment" to them that his constituents offered their backing "against almost every poll".
Former deputy chairman of the party, Brendan Clarke-Smith, lost in Bassetlaw to Labour's Jo White, while farmer Mark Spencer lost the new Sherwood Forest constituency to Labour's Michelle Welsh.
Ben Bradley said "you can't get rid of me that easy" as he continues in his role as county council leader, despite losing the Mansfield seat
Elsewhere in Nottinghamshire, current leader of the county council, Ben Bradley, lost his seat in Mansfield to Labour's Steve Yemm.
Mr Bradley, who was also defeated in his bid for the new East Midlands mayor role in May, said it had been "an immense privilege and honour" to serve as an MP.
Conservatives Ruth Edwards and Tom Randall also lost their seats.
Labour holds Nottingham
The three Nottingham constituencies have been held by Labour candidates Lilian Greenwood, Alex Norris and Nadia Whittome.
Ms Whittome, who held in Nottingham East, said: "The last time Labour won a general election, I was just eight years old.
"What we are seeing is truly historic."
Lilian Greenwood, Alex Norris and Nadia Whittome will all return to Parliament
Mr Norris is now the MP for the new constituency of Nottingham North and Kimberley.
He said: "Our city has cried out for serious change for a very long time, and it seems that we just might have got it.
"I believe that with a Labour government, a Labour mayor, and a Labour council, we can do some very special things."
Liz Kendall won in Leicester West with 15,798 votes
Liz Kendall, of Labour, held Leicester West with 44.6% of the vote and a 8,777 majority.
Ms Kendall, an MP since 2010, said: “Across the country, people have rejected this failed, divided, self-serving, Tory government and instead chosen Keir Starmer’s transformed Labour Party.”
She beat the 2nd place Conservatives’ Max Chauhan, and Reform’s Ian Hayes, who got 5,666 votes.
Labour has gained North West Leicestershire from the Conservatives with Amanda Hack taking the seat.
Andrew Bridgen won for the Tories with a majority of 20,400 in 2019, but was expelled by the party for comparing the side effects of Covid vaccines to the Holocaust.
He stood on this ballot as an independent, finishing second last with 3.2% of the vote.
Neil O'Brien held Harborough, Oadby and Wigston for the Conservatives
Conservative MP, Neil O'Brien, has retained his place in Parliament, beating Labour’s Hajira Piranie.
However, his majority from 2019 has reduced from more than 17,000 to about 2,000 votes.
Dr Luke Evans held Hinckley and Bosworth for the Tories with 17,032 votes.
Michael Mullaney, for the Liberal Democrats, came second with 11,624 votes and Peter Cheshire for Reform was third with 8,817.
Next Conservative leader?
Conservative Alberto Costa also held his seat in South Leicestershire, but has seen his vote share drop by nearly 31% since 2019.
Speaking to BBC Radio Leicester, Mr Costa has said he could run for Tory leadership.
"I've just been re-elected and I promise the people of South Leicestershire this, I will ensure that the Conservative Party reflects and goes forward in the right direction and if that means I stand for leadership, I will do so," he said.
Robert Jenrick is now the only Conservative MP in Nottinghamshire, having held on to his seat in Newark
Mr Jenrick is another possible contender, according to Tory colleague Ms Cutts.
She said: "He's a very clever man, he's taken the Newark seat and looked after it extremely well.
"He's come out recently - I think we've seen the real Robert Jenrick stand up, he's felt that the policies we've been following are probably not Robert Jenrick's policies, and not Conservative policies."
