The Liberal Democrats have won a key seat in South Gloucestershire from the Conservatives - taking Thornbury and Yate from Tory Party deputy chairman Luke Hall. The new Lib Dem MP is Claire Young, who defeated Luke Hall at the third time of asking after unsuccessful challenges in 2017 and 2019.
Mrs Young is the current leader of South Gloucestershire Council, and has been a Lib Dem councillor since 2007, but now goes to Westminster as part of a resurgent number of West Country Lib Dem MPs. She overturned a 12,369-vote majority to oust the Tories’ Luke Hall, who fired a parting shot at his own party.
Ms Young, who said she would step down as leader at SGC from if she won the Westminster seat, received 20,815 votes, 3,000 more than the Tory incumbent who was MP since 2015. Reform UK beat Labour into third place with the Greens fifth.
Read next
- General Election results IN FULL for Bristol and wider West of England region
- General Election results live in Bristol and beyond as Tories face crushing defeat
Ms Young said: “Tonight is a truly historic night for the Liberal Democrats. It is a huge privilege to be elected to represent you in Parliament and I’m looking forward to standing up for everyone, however you voted.
“I will be a strong voice for our communities, especially on tackling the cost-of-living crisis, ending the sewage scandal and fixing the health and care crises.”
In a speech following his defeat, Mr Hall said: “The desire for change has been great, and this is clearly a grave concern for the Conservative Party. Divided political parties focused on themselves, rather than the issues that matter to our constituents, get punished at the ballot box and quite rightly so.
“There will be much to reflect upon in the weeks and months ahead for the Conservative Party as it looks to rebuild.” Tory Party deputy chairman Mr Hall said that representing the constituency had been a “very special privilege”.
Most Read
He said: “I want to offer my sincere congratulations to Claire Young on her clear victory today. Claire is going to take up that responsibility and I will be right behind you cheering you on. With both my head and my heart I will be willing you to succeed in the work that you do if you fight for our community in Parliament.”
The Lib Dems held this seat from its days as ‘Northavon’, when long-standing MP Steve Webb was re-elected for 13 years until 2015. Former MP Luke Hall was the local Lidl manager in Yate, and Farmfoods area manager before being elected as the Conservative MP for Thornbury and Yate by a slim majority in 2015.
He extended this majority in subsequent elections, before a 12,369 majority was overturned by the Lib Dems. But the Lib Dems have now taken the seat back for the first time in nine years, giving the party the first seat in South Gloucestershire since 2015.
The full result in Thornbury and Yate is as follows:
Claire Young (Lib Dem) 20,815
Luke Hall (Conservative) 17,801
Andrew Banwell (Reform UK) 7,529
Don’t miss
Rob Logan (Labour) 5,057
Alexandra Jenner-Fust (Green) 2,165