Election results 2017: Lib Dems gain Oxford West and Abingdon
- Published
The Liberal Democrats have overturned a Conservative majority of almost 10,000 votes to win Oxford West and Abingdon.
Layla Moran won the Oxfordshire seat from Nicola Blackwood by 816 votes - 26,252 to 25,440 - with an almost 15% swing away from the Tories.
Ms Moran said the result showed that Theresa May did not have the "blank cheque" she wanted when the election was called.
None of the county's other five seats changed hands.
The Labour Party increased its majority in Oxford East - with a new MP taking over from her predecessor.
Anneliese Dodds replaced Andrew Smith, who has been the area's MP for the last 30 years, after she increased her party's majority from 15,280 to 23,284.
Conservative Suzanne Bartington came second with 11,834 votes.
Mrs Dodds, who took 65% of the vote, said it was "quite a relief" and she was glad voters who supported Mr Smith "decided to stick with me".
She said: "It's quite a relief and an enormous response and I'm very humbled by the support I've received tonight."
Mrs Dodds added the Conservatives had used "divisive, negative rhetoric" and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had offered "a different kind of politics".
In Wantage former Conservative culture minister Ed Vaizey was re-elected, but said Theresa May "frightened people" over Brexit by "going on and on about no deal being better than a bad deal".
He told BBC Oxford that in the light of the election result the Tories' approach to Brexit had to change and the party had to "slow the pace down".
He said: "There needs to be much more reassurance on key issues, like the rights of citizens and our trading relationship with Europe."
The Conservatives also held on to David Cameron's former seat of Witney, with an increased majority for MP Robert Courts of 21,241.
Mr Courts denied the election had been a waste of time and said he thought the predicted result gave Theresa May "a strong mandate for her plan".
Conservatives Victoria Prentis and John Howell also held on to their seats in Banbury and Henley respectively, with Labour coming in second in both.
- Published7 June 2017