Ashworth wins Leicester South for Labourpublished at 01:45 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019Breaking
Amy Woodfield
BBC News
We've got a result for Leicester South - Jon Ashworth from the Labour party has been elected once again.
Summary
Conservatives gain six East Midlands seats at expense of Labour
Dennis Skinner loses seat after 49 years
Labour's Vernon Coaker loses Gedling after 22 years
Conservatives win Bassetlaw for first time since 1935
Labour retain eight seats - seven in city constituencies
Re-elected Jon Ashworth calls it 'worst result for Labour since the 1930s'
Latest general election 2019 updates from across the East Midlands
Ashworth wins Leicester South for Labourpublished at 01:45 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019
Lib Dem candidate prepares for 'challenging result'published at 01:43 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019
Jack Rafferty
BBC Radio LeicesterIn Hinckley the counting of votes is under way and there are a few more slips to count than in 2017.
The turnout for the Bosworth constituency is 69.49% - that's up from 68.8%.
One man hoping to see plenty of crosses next to his name is the Lib Dem candidate Michael Mullaney.
This has been his fourth campaign and accepts this year it's going to be a "challenging result."
He said: "There's been quite a lot of support for me, obviously this is an area which has traditionally been Conservative, and it's quite a good year for the Conservatives.
"Quite a few people have voted for me and a lot of people I think appreciated the work of the local Liberal councillors in the area."
Corbyn 'should never have been elected'published at 01:33 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019
Former Labour minister Chris Leslie, who is standing as an Independent Group for Change candidate in Nottingham East, called for Mr Corbyn to quit.
He told PA news agency: "He should never have been elected in the first place. As some of us were warning from the outset, the hard left self-indulgence was always doomed to fail."
Image source, PA MediaFewer city residents cast votespublished at 01:25 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019
Amy Woodfield
BBC NewsThe turnout figures for the rest of Leicester are also lower than the summer of 2017.
In Leicester East 63.34% of people took to the polls.
The percentage for Leicester South was slightly higher at 64.78% but that's still down on the previous 66.94%.
Labour candidate 'has not seen exit poll'published at 01:24 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019
Simon Ward
East Midlands Today ReporterLabour's candidate for Mid Derbyshire Emma Monkman looks unhappy.
She won’t comment and claims not to have seen the exit poll, which has predicted a 99% likelihood of a Conservative win in the constituency.
Labour losses 'down to poor leadership'published at 01:18 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019
Alex Regan
BBC NewsIn the Midlands, exit polls suggest that Labour will have a bad night, with Bassetlaw expected to fall to the Tories for the first time sine 1935.
Meanwhile, Gedling is predicted as too close to call, it has been held by Labour's Vernon Coaker since 1997.
Deputy leader of the borough council Michael Payne has said he is worried for Mr Coaker, and believes Jeremy Corbyn should reflect on the evening's performance.
"If Vernon loses tonight, and I hope he doesn't, mark my words that would be down to the poor leadership of the Labour Party at a national level, and it would be down to Brexit.
"If we fail tonight the leader has to reflect on that."
Labour reaction to 'devastating' result expectedpublished at 01:08 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019
Tony Roe
BBC East Midlands political editorThe former Labour MP for Leicester West has reacted to the likely "devastating" result for Labour.
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End of twitter post"If we delude ourselves into thinking this was about Brexit..." - was it the manifesto then or the leadership if not Brexit...or both...or a combination of the three?
Will anyone still be feeling festive in the morning?published at 01:07 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019
Peter McNerney
BBC Radio SheffieldWho will be feeling festive later?
This is the North Nottinghamshire Community Arena where counting has begun for Bassetlaw - Labour's John Mann's old seat.
Derbyshire turnout figures emergepublished at 01:02 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019
Chris Doidge
BBC Radio Derby, political reporterTurnout in High Peak about the same as last time (73%).
Down very slightly in South Derbyshire (68%) and Amber Valley (65%).
Ashfield parliamentary candidate gets festivepublished at 01:02 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019
Hugh Casswell
Political reporter, BBC Radio NottinghamWe've seen Mansfield candidate Ben Bradley in his blue festive garb, well the Lib Dems can also play that game.
Ashfield parliamentary candidate Rebecca Wain has put on her own festive jumper, with it being National Christmas Jumper Day.
Nearly half of Leicester West voters fail to visit pollspublished at 00:59 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019
Tim Parker
BBC Radio Leicester reporterIn Leicester West, a constituency known for having a poor turnout in the region, just 53.78% of voters went to the polls yesterday.
That's down from 58.05% in 2017.
Could it be down to the weather? Maybe it's political frustration? Either way, nearly half of voters are not voting in Leicester West.
Tea and tree at Whitwick countpublished at 00:48 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019
Amy Woodfield
BBC NewsIt looks like some Christmas cheer is needed in North West Leicestershire.
This is the extent of their festivities.
Turnout slightly down in North West Leicestershirepublished at 00:48 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019
Jo Bostock
Journalist, BBC Radio LeicesterCounting has begun at the Hermitage Leisure Centre in Whitwick.
The returning officer for the North West Leicestershire count has said the overall turnout was 69% with 54,044 votes cast.
That's down on the 2017 general election where turnout was 71%.
The former Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen is still smiling and the atmosphere here is very relaxed.
Festive backdrop to serious election businesspublished at 00:31 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019
Gavin Bevis
BBC NewsThe timing of this snap election has led to the slightly incongruous juxtaposition of critical votes being counted amid a merry backdrop of festive decorations.
These pics show counts in Buxton, Ashfield, Worksop and Derby.
Image source, Derby City CouncilLibertarian candidate hopes to set new recordpublished at 00:29 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019
Amy Woodfield
BBC NewsStill smiling, engineering company director Dan Liddicott waits for news at the North West Leicestershire count as he bids to achieve an election landmark for the fledgling Libertarian Party.
If he takes more than a 0.4% share of the vote (and greater than 213 votes) he will out-poll the current record holder for the movement.
"All I want is 0.5% to take the title," he said.
Five Libertarian candidates are standing at the 2019 election, the others being in Chicester, Stroud, Sevenoaks and Crewe & Nantwich.
Exit poll indicates 'worst election for Labour in Bassetlaw'published at 00:29 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019
Alex Regan
BBC NewsThe Labour leader in Bassetlaw District Council Simon Greaves says the exit poll indicates that his party could face "the worst election we've ever seen for Labour in Bassetlaw".
The seat had previously been held by Labour's John Mann, who retired as an MP to take a seat in the House of Lords, and was critical of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership on dealing with anti-Semitism in the party.
The BBC predicts that Bassetlaw has a 99% chance becoming a Tory gain for the first time since 1935.
Mr Greaves said: "There has been a lot of work done on the ground by local activists, and I think that if things transpire in the way they are projected then the national party have got some serious thinking to do."
'A vote for me would be a wasted vote'published at 00:16 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019
Jo Hollis
Reporter, BBC Radio LeicesterQueenie Tea has arrived here in Loughborough - minus her tea trolley.
The independent candidate in the Loughborough constituency said: “I was told I wasn’t allowed to bring it, which is a bit of a shame really because I had lots of lovely biscuits for everyone.”
Undeterred she has gaffer taped a pack of chocolate digestives to her handbag.
She’s hoping no one voted for her, and she didn’t vote for herself.
“I didn’t vote because as a piece of art I don’t exist, I’m not on the electoral roll.
“I hope I get zero, a vote for me would be a wasted vote really but I realise people might have done it out of sheer frustration.”
Independent candidate Anna Soubry 'could lose her deposit'published at 00:09 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019
Steve Beech
Reporter, BBC Radio NottinghamBroxtowe was thought to be one of the big battle ground seats for independents in this election.
Former Conservative MP Anna Soubry represented the constituency for nine years, before becoming an independent in February 2019.
But the BBC's exit poll predicts there is a 97% chance the Conservatives will regain the seat.
A Tory campaigner at the Broxtowe count told me he thinks Anna Soubry will lose her deposit, meaning she will get less than 5% of the vote.
Vote counters poised in Leicesterpublished at 00:04 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019
Quentin Rayner
East Midlands Today chief news reporterI'm at the Leicester count where all the city’s polling stations have delivered their ballot boxes bar one.
Count delayed in Sherwood after 'serious car crash'published at 00:04 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019
Alex Regan
BBC NewsThe count in Sherwood was briefly delayed after a ballot box was stuck in transit because of a serious car crash on the A614.
Returning officer Karen White said a presiding officer "was stuck behind the accident".
The count was delayed as it could not begin until all the boxes were verified in the ballot.
But a police officer went to retrieve the box, and the count is set to begin in the Nottinghamshire constituency shortly.
Sherwood was held by Conservative Mark Spencer in 2017, and the BBC says there is a 99% chance the Tories will retain the seat.
