Labour’s Dan Tomlinson has been declared as the next MP for Chipping Barnet – the area’s first ever representative from the party. The constituency’s new MP beat their Conservative rival at the ballot box during the General Election by 21,585 to Tory Theresa Villers’ 18,617.
Chipping Barnet has an electorate of 78,038 and votes from 48 polling stations were counted at the RAF Museum in Colindale overnight (Thursday, July 4 and Friday, July 5). In 2019, Theresa Villiers won the seat for the Tories with a slim majority of 1,212.
Therefore, she was in danger this time. In 2019, Ms Villiers attained 25,745 votes, which was a 44.7 per cent share. Labour got 42.6 per cent.
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Mr Tomlinson told MyLondon that his time as the MP would be dedicated to combating crime, such as car thefts. He also told media that Labour would focus on growing the economy and ensuring locals were better off.
The new MP got emotional during his speech as he mentioned his family, including his new baby son, whom he has not seen as much as he would have liked of late due to the campaign.
Theresa Villers, who had held the seat since 2005, mentioned her campaign to protect the Green Belt over the years and make sure Barnet is kept a ‘special’ place. “Thank you and goodbye”, she added.
Full seat results
Candidate: DURRANT, Mark James
Party: Liberal Democrats
Votes: 2,614
Candidate: FARBEY, David Samuel
Party: Green Party
Votes: 3,442
Candidate: HADDOW, Hamish
Party: Reform UK
Votes: 3,986
Candidate: HEWISON, Richard
Party: Rejoin EU
Votes: 379
Candidate: LAUER, Kay
Party: Independent
Votes: 182
Candidate: TOMLINSON, Dan (ELECTED)
Party: Labour Party
Votes: 21,585
Candidate: VILLIERS, Theresa Anne
Party: Conservatives
Votes: 18,671
Turnout: 65.5 per cent
Nationally, Labour is on course for a landslide, according to the exit poll projection, with 410 seats. The Conservatives are set to win 131 seats.
The exit poll also forecasts the Liberal Democrats on 61 seats, Reform UK on 13 and The Green Party on two. In Scotland, the SNP are expected to secure 10 seats with Plaid Cymru in Wales on four.
Pat McFadden, Labour’s National Campaign Coordinator, said after polls closed: “Keir Starmer’s transformation of the Labour Party has been remarkable. He has put country before party and has transformed Labour from a party focused on itself to one back in the service of the British public. We have campaigned as a changed Labour Party, ready to change Britain.
“It’s going to be a long night, and it will be several hours until we know the full picture of results. Labour will need a swing bigger than Tony Blair achieved in 1997 to achieve a majority of just one seat.
“It is remarkable that Labour was in a competitive position in this election given what happened in 2019. Whatever has been claimed throughout the campaign, the Labour Party has assumed nothing about the result and has worked tirelessly to bring our message of change to people across the country.
“Britain’s future was on the ballot at this election. And, if we are successful tonight, Labour will get to work immediately with our first steps for change.”
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