New Green MP 'can't wait to get to work'

Ellie Chowns overturned a majority of almost 25,000 to win the seat of North Herefordshire

The first Green Party MP in the Midlands said she is "absolutely delighted" and cannot wait to "get to work in Westminster on Monday."

Ellie Chowns won the North Herefordshire seat by almost 6,000 votes on Friday.

She replaced Sir Bill Wiggin, who had served as Conservative MP for the constituency for the last 23 years.

The North Herefordshire constituency, in its various forms, has been held by the Tories ever since 1906.

Speaking to the BBC in Ledbury, Ms Chowns said politics gave her the licence to "knock on people's doors and have a chat with people you wouldn't otherwise meet."

She praised the "amazing teamwork" of "everybody" who had contributed to her campaign.

Ms Chowns' previously said her top priorities as MP was to renew the economy, repair the NHS and restore the region's rivers.

"So when I talk about renewing the economy, housing is a really key interest of mine," she added.

"And then of course river restoration is such an issue, a real passion for so many people here in Herefordshire."

Environmental campaigners have long argued about pollution in the River Wye, with campaign group River Action recently losing a legal challenge against the government.

In a pre-election debate hosted by BBC Hereford and Worcester, Ms Chowns had said that years of voluntary measures had not tackled pollution and a legally binding water protection zone was needed to help it recover.

Nicola Cutcher, from Friends of the River Wye, said she was "thrilled" Ms Chowns had been appointed as she had "engaged with the subject for years".

She said the new MP had also won the support of farmers in the area and could advocate to get the funding needed to change how they farm.

"I think it is so exciting to have voices for nature in Parliament," she added.

"I've never felt more optimistic for the River Wye, as we'll actually have a champion in parliament that really cares and really backs the needs of the river."