ELECTIONS: Tories retain seat in South West Norfolk

Environment secretary Liz Truss has retained her blue South West Norfolk seat with a 25,515 majority.

Returning Officer Nicholas Pratt, the High Sheriff of Norfolk, declared Truss the winner shortly after 8.15am today.

The mother-of-two, who has been a member of the Conservative Party for the past 18 years, said of her victory: “I feel brilliant. I’m really delighted to be elected as MP again. There are lots of challenges ahead and I’m really looking forward to them.”

Second place went to UKIP candidate Paul Smyth who secured 11,654 of the votes - almost four times as many as the party received in the 2010 General Election.

Labour’s Peter Smith came in third with 8,649 votes, while the shock of the night came from the significant decline in support for the Liberal Democrats whose candidate, Rupert Moss-Eccardt - who was unable to attend the count - received just 2,217 compared to 10,613 in 2010.

Turnout for the constituency was 65.3 per cent, with 50,312 votes compared to 49,214 in 2010.

The results of the parliamentary election for the South West Norfolk constituency are:

* Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative): 25,515

Sandra Elizabeth Walmsley (Green): 2,075

Peter David Smith (Labour): 8,649

Rupert William George Moss-Eccardt (Liberal Democrat): 2 217

Paul Smyth (UKIP): 11,654

* denotes winner