Recount drama as Tory stalwarts lose seats

Poole was the last constituency to declare after three recounts

Richard Drax and Tobias Ellwood are among the Conservative stalwarts to lose their seats after Lib Dems and Labour made gains in Dorset.

The Tories, who previously held all eight seats in the county, had just two MPs elected.

Mr Drax, who had been member for South Dorset for 14 years, lost out by 1,000 votes to Labour's Lloyd Hatton.

Vikki Slade, leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council, took the Mid Dorset and North Poole seat for the Liberal Democrats.

BCP Council said it was assessing the impact of leader Vikki Slade's win

Ms Slade beat migration minister Michael Tomlinson into second place with a majority of 1,352.

BCP said its officers and cabinet were "working through how this appointment may impact the council going forward".

The drama continued in Poole well into Friday morning where just 18 votes separated the candidates.

Following three recounts, Labour's Neil Duncan-Jordan was declared the winner, ousting Conservative Sir Robert Syms who had represented the area for 27 years.

West Dorset, which had been blue since the constituency was created in 1885, turned yellow for the first time as Edward Morello polled more than 26,000 votes.

Christopher Chope said a "clean-out" was needed at Conservative central office

Mr Morello, who overturned a Conservative majority of more than 14,000, said the unseating of Chris Loder was a "huge result" for the Liberal Democrats.

Conservative Christopher Chope remains MP for Christchurch but said "a period of reflection, not recrimination" was needed for his party.

"I would have a big clean-out at central office," he said.

Conservative Simon Hoare also held on to his seat in North Dorset, with his majority slashed from more than 23,000 to 1,589.

He said he was "very relieved and very pleased" but admitted it had been a "bruising election" for the Tories.

Tobias Ellwood blamed his defeat on party division

Both Bournemouth seats were taken by Labour.

In Bournemouth East, Tom Hayes of Labour polled 18,318, ahead of former government minister Tobias Ellwood's 12,837 votes, ending his 19-year Parliamentary career.

In Bournemouth West, Jessica Toale also ended Conservative Conor Burns' 14 years in office, winning a majority of 3,224.

She told supporters: "We did it. We have run a relentlessly positive campaign and we should all be very proud of that."

Across the county, Conservatives held two seats - Christchurch and North Dorset.

Liberal Democrats gained two - Mid Dorset & Poole and West Dorset, while Labour gained four seats in Bournemouth East, Bournemouth West, Poole and South Dorset.

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