Conservatives hold in Yorkshire strongholds but shock losses elsewhere
The Conservatives managed to hold onto its strongholds but it was a mixed bag for all the parties in Yorkshire in this year’s general election.
Theresa May’s gamble on a large majority has not materialised in the UK or the region, though the Conservatives managed to hold on to its rural North Yorkshire seats, in areas like Harrogate and Knaresborough.
A failure of a night for the Liberal Democrats saw them lose their only two seats in the region in a result that sent shockwaves through the party.
Former deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg lost in Sheffield Hallam after the Liberal Democrats ruled out a Coalition government with Labour or Conservatives.
Along with the departure of Greg Mullholland in Leeds North West, returning his seat to the Labour party, this has ended any foothold the Liberal Democrats had in Yorkshire, echoing their fate across the UK.
In other notable seats, former soap opera actress Tracey Brabin held onto Batley & Spen for Labour. The seat was held by Jo Cox until her assassination during the EU referendum, and went uncontested in a by-election following her death.
Brexit Secretary David Davis retained Haltemprice and Howden seat, but in a shock move, the Northern Powerhouse minister James Wharton lost Stockton South up in Redcar.
Labour gained four seats in the region. Ed Miliband held onto his Doncaster North seat, whilst Rachel Reeves retained her Leeds West seat by a healthy margin of 15,970 and Yvette Cooper, the former shadow home secretary who recently launched a scathing attack on the Prime Minister over police cuts, retained Normanton, Pontefract & Castleford.
Speaking after the results were announced to the BBC, Cooper said: “It’s great we’re winning back seats for Labour” but said Theresa May called this election as “a referendum on herself and she has lost, I don’t see how she can carry on.”
Leeds Central’s Hillary Benn and York Central’s Rachael Maskell also remained in position.
In the Conservative camp, Andrea Jenkyns, who ousted Ed Balls from Morley & Outwood in 2015, retained her seat, but Stuart Andrew, Conservative MP for Pudsey, saw his majority cut to just over 300, mirroring the Conservatives in the rest of the UK. Greg Knight held the Yorkshire East seat for the Conservatives despite a bizarre video campaign that went viral.
