After surviving a nervous night, the Labour candidate Barbara Keeley has been re-elected as the MP for Worsley and Eccles South with a majority of 3,219 reduced from 8,379.

Mrs Keeley, who won 45.6 per cent of the vote last night, has been Labour MP for the constituency since its creation in 2010 and the MP for Worsley, the constituency that proceeded it between 2005 and 2010.

In her victory speech Mrs Keeley said: “We’ve run a good campaign in difficult circumstances. My team can continue to support 1000s of constituents, that’s the most important thing.”

She added: “Clearly this is not an easy night for my party, I never take anything for granted.

“We fought this campaign as well as we could in the very difficult and challenging circumstances of a winter election.

“I really want to thank everybody who has put my faith in me again that’s very important.”

It was predicted by the exit poll that Rabbi Arnie Saunders, the Conservative candidate, would win the constituency but he returned less votes than the Conservative candidate in 2017 with their vote share down from 17,667 to 17,227 accounting for 38.4 per cent of the vote.

Regional exit polls show predicted Labour defeat in Worsley and Eccles South

 

Mrs Keeley added: “I feel deep concern for tonight’s results for Labour across the country. This election has focused on the NHS. Labour are the Party of the NHS. This country needs a Labour Party to stand up for good services, for principles.

“Labour will be back. We need a Party to represent the many.”

The Brexit Party candidate Seamus Martin won 3,224 votes thanks to a strong feeling of Euroscepticism in the constituency.

In the 2016 European Union referendum 59.79% of the constituency voted in favour of leaving the European Union and in the 2015 election UKIP won 18.3% of the vote.

Mrs Keeley was deputy leader of the House of Commons in 2009 for a year.

The Worsley and Eccles seat merged together in 2010 and now the 67-year-old has won an unprecedented sixth straight election campaign triumph.

Her ties to Salford University go back to the early 1970s when she gained a degree in Politics and Contemporary History.

She began her career at IBM, first as a Systems Engineer before moving up to managerial level. Mrs Keeley then spent several years on the council working for Trafford Council in 1995 until 2004 where she began taking up various governmental positions.

This was highlighted by roles as a Cabinet member for Children and Young People, Early Years and Childcare, Health and Wellbeing.

Mrs Keeley was then promoted as a Cabinet member for Education, Children’s Social Services and all services for children and young people and Director of a Pathfinder Children’s Trust.

Her political views have spanned from voting on replacing Britain’s nuclear deterrent Trident and increasing the benefits allowance.

She is a member of the GMB Union, the Co-operative Party and the Fabian Society, all closely associated with Socialism and the Labour Party.

With 14 years of parliamentary experience behind her and various experiences in the department of education, she has been given the backing again to tackle Worsley and Eccles’ local socio-economic and cultural issues going forward.

Here is the round up of the Worsley and Eccles South results.

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