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Leigh On Sea News: Historic Leigh Election – LEIGH has become Labour for the first time in its electoral history.
Historic Leigh Election - LEIGH has become Labour for the first time in its electoral history.
Leigh On Sea News: Historic Leigh Election – LEIGH has become Labour for the first time in its electoral history.
At the election count, Labour cheered loudly as the Conservative MP Anna Firth was ousted from power, in a decisive defeat meted out to the Tories across not just Southend West and Leigh, but Southend East and Rochford.
David Burton-Sampson swept to power in Leigh with 16,739 votes against Anna Firth’s 14,790, securing a 35.6% share of the vote.
Ms Firth took over the traditional Conservative stronghold of Southend West and Leigh following the tragic murder of the much-loved MP Sir David Amess, back in 2021.
Speaking jubilantly at the Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre after the landslide results had been announced, Mr Barton-Sampson said: “Tonight Southend West and Leigh has made history.
“You have chosen to elect your first ever Labour MP.
“You’ve placed your trust in me and I’m incredibly grateful its now my job to stand up for you and I sincerely thank everybody who voted for me.
“Four years ago, Keir Starmer promised to change the Labour Party and he did.
“Now Labour is ready to change the country. For me this is a change of job but for Labour and for the country it’s the job of change.”
Reform UK’s candidate Peter Little came third in Leigh, with 8,273 votes, followed in fourth place by Green candidate Tilly Hogrebe who gained 3,262, and trailed by the Lib Dems Stephen Cummins, at 3,174 votes.
Turnout compared to 2019’s general election in Southend West and Leigh was down by 4.40%, with a 63% turnout.
Whilst outgoing Prime Minster Rishi Sunak has called the result a “sobering verdict” on the Conservatives, some Tory seats remained in Essex.
Mark Francois MP managed to hold onto his seat in Rayleigh and Wickford, despite conceding 35.9% of the Tory share on 2019’s results.
Basildon held onto its Tory seat by just 20 votes, with Richard Holden, the Conservative Party chairman, finding victory over his Labour challenger after a ballot recount, whilst Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, triumphed in Clacton with 21,225 votes, compared to the Conservatives 12,820.
Ms Firth’s commented on X. She said: “Congratulations to David Burton-Sampson who now has one of the best jobs in the world – MP for Southend and Leigh on Sea. Thank you to all those who put their faith in me. I absolutely loved representing you in Parliament and doing my best for our City, and standing up for the legacy of Sir David Amess. Thank you also to my brilliant team and my fantastic Agent @owencartey who could not have worked harder. I am very proud of securing over £200 million of investment for our City, our schools and our local NHS, the benefits of which will be felt by residents in Southend and Leigh for years to come. I look forward to seeing you all soon and I fully intend to continue standing up for local people, against injustice and for Conservative principles of freedom, fairness, aspiration and opportunity.”
Report By Sophie Sleigh-Johnson.
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