Kent Politics Show Special: Election 2024 (03:29-04:41)
Watch back KMTV's live coverage of the UK's 2024 General Election results.
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00:00Welcome back to Medway Park, to our pop-up studio here at The Count. Here with me is
00:00:13Stephen Keevil from Local Authority and Chris Deasey of the Kent Film Club. And of course,
00:00:20we've been watching some really big results rolling in just over the last couple of minutes.
00:00:24Grant Shapps losing his seat, we've seen Gillian Keegan losing her seat, we've seen Jeremy
00:00:29Corbyn's act of revenge against the Labour Party in Islington, and of course, Gravesham
00:00:34just going to Labour. It makes me think, as our resident film buff on KMTV, Chris, this
00:00:40is all about narratives, isn't it, these elections? These are all about the kind of stories, very
00:00:45human stories. And I wonder, how strong has the narrative in this election been, do you
00:00:50think? Well, it's funny you say that, because I did go to the cinema this evening and I
00:00:54saw a conspiracy theorist film about the moon landings of 1969. And of course, that
00:01:00set up in that... I will stop you just for a second to report that Nigel Farage just
00:01:03won in Clacton. So there he is, he will be a Member of Parliament and he won't be sitting
00:01:13alone because we know Lee Anderson is with him. Sorry, Chris. No, no, no, well, this
00:01:18is exactly what you were saying, because some months ago, people would have said, you know,
00:01:22the thought of Jeremy Corbyn standing as an independent and then winning against the
00:01:27Labour machine, and then you've got Nigel Farage who wasn't going to stand. But in a
00:01:30way, this could be a film, this could be a drama. And I know that Wag the Dog is one
00:01:33of your favourite films. It feels like, here we are, what, three in the morning, and it's
00:01:37almost as though what is playing out before us is a film screenplay, and we don't quite
00:01:42know what the script is, but we kind of know that we're imbibing it, we're living this
00:01:46vicariously. And you think how many subplots there are in this, and where it's going to
00:01:50be leading, which party? I mean, in terms of Nigel Farage's, what, on the eighth attempt
00:01:55in Parliament, what's going to happen now with the Conservatives? Is there going to
00:01:58be some alliance between reform and the Conservatives? I mean, we're speculating. He won his seat,
00:02:03what, 30 seconds ago? Yes, that's right, eight times lucky, but he's already on the record
00:02:07saying he believes he'll be the leader of the Conservative Party. You're absolutely
00:02:11right, all kinds of things there. And it's also, an election is a love story, in a sense.
00:02:16Certainly, Keir Starmer needed it to be a love story. He needed the public to really
00:02:21get into him as a person, didn't he? Did he succeed?
00:02:25I think, kind of, yeah. Like, in the world of cinema, kind of, yeah, there's been a rom-com
00:02:32element, but it's one of those rom-coms where you're like, I can kind of watch it whilst
00:02:36also on my phone, and also seeing what the dog's up to, and I'll know what's going
00:02:40to happen at the end. Like, it's not been a film where you kind of go, I'll have what
00:02:45she's having. It's kind of just been like, yeah. Like, everyone has done what you expected
00:02:50them to do, considering where they started from. With the exception of whatever Ed Davey
00:02:54was going to do that day, there's been no real surprises. There's been no real, kind
00:02:59of, there's been no real, in the love story, May I follow the stretcher, there's been no
00:03:02real wooing. Kind of, there's been kind of a Tory element of, please don't leave me,
00:03:07because, you know, you don't know what you're going to get there. I might not have been
00:03:11great for you, but hey, look at what we've got. And Labour kind of, you know, kind of
00:03:15going like, like, if you want to come, then let's do that. But, you know, I'm not going
00:03:20to kind of promise you too much. So you can't, you know, so it's, everyone kind of walks
00:03:25away from it kind of going, yeah, I suppose. Go on then.
00:03:29But I was just thinking, because, I mean, in terms of things like the share of the vote,
00:03:32because in 2017, Labour got 40% of the vote. And here, I don't know what it is tonight,
00:03:37but it was projected to be slightly lower than that. And they got a landslide win. So
00:03:41in terms of the story, it's almost as though you've got the national picture, but you've
00:03:44got the individual seats and the way in which they're targeted. So it's as though, I think,
00:03:49was it something like 50-odd seats is where really the election is won or lost. And it
00:03:53was interesting that Keir Starmer was in Wales yesterday, sort of, you know, my part of the
00:03:57world. He was in Carmarthenshire, where I'm from, or where I worked before coming here
00:04:0020 years ago. And sort of seeing the way that that plays out. So you've got the different
00:04:04pockets, the Celtic element. You've got what's happening here in Kent. You know, all the
00:04:08different sort of local factors. So if this was a film, you know, you've got, I mean,
00:04:11Wag the Dog probably is a good analogy in that sense, because you're sort of dealing
00:04:14with those very, sort of, minutiae moments, the sort of, the way that you sort of have
00:04:19a very local element versus the national picture in that case of, you know, there being a war
00:04:24and trying to deflect attention away from that so a president can win office. And all
00:04:30the shenanigans behind the scenes. And, you know, I mean, the history books will say Labour
00:04:35will have projected to get 410 seats and a majority of 170 or whatever it is. But also
00:04:40there's the individual seats where the odd things happen, like Jeremy Corbyn winning
00:04:43as an independent. You know, it goes against the narrative. But actually, that could be
00:04:47a film in its own right. So as we're talking, I'm thinking, you know, there'll be an episode
00:04:51of Kent Film Club one day when somebody will say, you know, we'll have this story. There'll
00:04:55be different facets of tonight. And I've often been asked on Kent Tonight, are there any
00:04:59good films about an election? And there's plenty in America. The candidate Robert Redford
00:05:04in 1972 is a brilliant one. But in the UK, not really so much. So who knows? Tonight
00:05:08could spark, could kickstart all of those narratives.
00:05:10Maybe the great, yes, yes. I wonder who would be writing that film. Who would be directing
00:05:14that film? Would it be a Guy Ritchie?
00:05:15But also I would like to kind of just challenge you that, like, actually when you look at
00:05:19where we were at the beginning six weeks ago, and it was only six weeks, to where we are
00:05:23now, actually the Jeremy Corbyn story isn't that surprising. He was a very well regarded
00:05:28local MP. So yeah, there was a moment where kind of, because we became polling obsessed,
00:05:34where sort of the numbers started to go, maybe it'll be close and maybe you'll lose. But
00:05:38actually he was nowhere near losing. So actually kind of where we are now compared to where
00:05:42we were starting, in so many areas, it's actually come out exactly as you would expect. You
00:05:48know, so all these, any of these, even like Nigel Farge kind of, it's Clacton, it's where
00:05:54UKIP had a seat. So there was a history of that sort of thing. So it's, so is the shock
00:05:59really there to really kind of surprise anyone?
00:06:02Yeah, there was something about, because the first election that I voted in was in 1992.
00:06:06I was only 18. And then it looked as though Labour were going to win. I'd never really
00:06:13remembered any other party because I was, I think I was five or so when Margaret Thatcher
00:06:18became Prime Minister. So suddenly it looked like the first time I can vote, Labour are
00:06:22going to win. And there was one poll in that campaign where Labour were 10 points ahead.
00:06:26And of course, the result was a Conservative, what, 20 or so seat majority. And it felt
00:06:31a bit anticlimactic because there was this narrative that Labour were going to break
00:06:34through. And then of course, in 97, Labour played it very safe. And, you know, they were
00:06:40talking about what if we have a majority of, I remember Margaret Beckett saying, if we
00:06:43have a majority of six or 60, as in, you know, if it's 60, that's wow. And of course, in
00:06:47the end, it was, you know, add 100 onto that. So there is that sort of sense that sometimes
00:06:52we do sort of underplay. So looking back, it feels inevitable. You're totally right.
00:06:58But I remember from 92 when I was so sure that Labour were going to win and they didn't.
00:07:02And, you know, in those days, the exit polls were not as precise as perhaps they have been
00:07:06since John Curtis has been behind, you know, commandeering or, you know, the way in which
00:07:11they're all properly dissected and analysed. So I do kind of feel that there will be some
00:07:17mini dramas here. People, you know, I always wonder, you know, the fact that the Conservatives
00:07:22were conceding yesterday, the day before the election, I mean, unheard of. In the past,
00:07:29they'd be saying, we're going to win, we're going to win. You know, the polls are wrong.
00:07:33And here they've almost sort of been saying, well, yeah, you know, just stop Labour having
00:07:36a super majority. So that's a narrative in itself. I mean, what actually is going on
00:07:40behind the scenes? We'll probably find out now. There'll be all the recriminations.
00:07:43Grant Shapps just a few minutes ago lost his seat in. Was it well in? Things are taking
00:07:48on their own momentum.
00:07:49OK. OK. We've heard that the Thanet result will be coming in soon. We're going to brace
00:07:55ourselves for that coming in. But while we're waiting for that, I mean, there was one other.
00:07:59We're going to go over to Thanet now.
00:08:291,300. Paul William Webb, Saunders Bay, 8,591. There were 167 spoils of ballot. And I do hereby declare this Collie Billington newly elected Member of Parliament.
00:09:00A Labour win, Collie Billington in Thanet. There we go. We can still see the images there.
00:09:05She's about to say something to her supporters there in the room in Thanet. But another big
00:09:10Labour win in East Kent. We're talking about narratives. That's been so far in Kent, the
00:09:15big narrative of the evening. We'll wait to see how some of those other neighbouring seats
00:09:21come in. So we have, in fact, a reaction now from Abi in the KMTV studio and her guests
00:09:33there.
00:09:34Don't we love live results coming in. Barry Lewis joining me. This is your seat. And it's
00:09:41Polly Billington that has won this, the Labour reaction. Expected?
00:09:46Expected. I didn't quite get the majority.
00:09:50I don't know the numbers. I'll wait in my ear, see if they had the numbers there. We
00:09:53didn't quite catch them in the studio. So if we do get the numbers, let us know.
00:09:58She's been a wonderful candidate. We've worked our socks off. We've had hundreds of people
00:10:03working. I've lived in Margate for nearly 50 years. I'm in tears nearly because it's
00:10:15the first time I've ever had a Labour MP. And if I can give the history very quickly
00:10:24of this seat.
00:10:25We've got time. Go for it.
00:10:28I got elected seven years ago when it was a UKIP council. And out of the 10 district
00:10:35councillors, we only had one Labour councillor. Last year we got 10 out of 10. I'm the county
00:10:41councillor. Now we've got an MP. Thanet is now true red. We are smashing the political
00:10:57map in Thanet.
00:10:58What sort of demographic of voters were you appealing to when you were out on these campaign
00:11:02trails?
00:11:04From 18 to 80.
00:11:09What demographics made the difference here? Where are these votes coming from? We don't
00:11:13know how many of course. We don't know the numbers just yet. We didn't catch that.
00:11:17I think without that figure, I was on the polling station three hours a day. And when
00:11:27you're on the polling station, you get a little bit of tension amongst people. But people
00:11:33coming up and giving me the thumbs up, saying, well done. Thank you. Are you going to win?
00:11:39And I'm going, I'm not sure. I'm not sure. Knowing deep down that Polly had smashed it.
00:11:46And I think it's going to grow. And again, I'd like to see the full figures. But it's
00:11:53an incredible result, given that only eight years ago UKIP was running the council.
00:12:01So it's a fantastic night.
00:12:05And do you think that's down to an East Thanet being familiar, being on the streets, doing
00:12:09that campaign, doing that canvassing, speaking to people? Is it about that connection? You're
00:12:14saying people are walking out the polling stations, giving you the thumbs up. They know
00:12:17you in the area. You're very well known down there. And I suppose being on that, that's
00:12:21what matters the most? That face-to-face contact?
00:12:25It's a team effort. I mean, Polly's the captain. It's a buzz. I mean, I think Cliftonville
00:12:36was voted the coolest place in England.
00:12:38Yeah, it was. We did a report on that.
00:12:40And I did say at the time I was the coolest councillor because of that. And I proved it
00:12:45tonight, obviously.
00:12:46Definitely, you've stayed up the latest out of all the guests so far.
00:12:51Yeah, you can't get me off the sofa. And I just think the only surprise, in a sense,
00:12:57it wasn't a surprise, if that makes sense. Because the other results you're coming in,
00:13:03you're surprised at folks and you're surprised at Gravesham. It's been really close. But
00:13:08I think it was a team effort. And also, can I just pay respect to Craig McKinley?
00:13:18Of course.
00:13:19Even though on the political difference of opinion, I've known Craig for seven years
00:13:26and it was a tragedy what's happened to him. And I wish him all the best and his family.
00:13:35Because even though, as I said, we're on the political divide, we overlap in our concern
00:13:41for the Thanet people. Thanet is the most deprived area in Kent. We've got 30% of children
00:13:48on free school meals. The highest suicide rate, the lowest age of death. We've got many
00:13:56problems and Polly's going to be a champion for that. And it's just, I can't believe it.
00:14:08She was in fact, she worked as a journalist at the BBC before, a special advisor to Ed
00:14:12Miliband as well.
00:14:14Yeah, and she's greener than any person I've met. She runs a company specialising in green
00:14:24issues.
00:14:25Yeah, she wants to get companies to clean the seas, force them to or face a prison sentence.
00:14:31That's part of her pledge and her mission.
00:14:35Yeah. And she's only got one problem. She's got me making sure she does it. I mean, she's
00:14:41part of the team and she's going to be wonderful for Thanet.
00:14:44It'd be fascinating to see that split, see that divide, see where those Tory votes went
00:14:50and how close those numbers were. Reform obviously in that picture too, all the other parties
00:14:54too. Barry, thank you very much for that analysis. Great to have you on the sofa and in good
00:14:59time. Rob, I think we'll come back to you in Medway Park now. Sorry for cutting you
00:15:04off there. We had the perfect guest R.N. but some analysis over with you now, Rob.
00:15:11Thank you, Abi. Yes, absolutely. Brilliant analysis there of any reaction of that result
00:15:19as it came in. While we've been listening to that, Professor John Curtis on the BBC
00:15:25forecasting that this could be the lowest election turnout since 2005. We've just been
00:15:31chatting about that here. That's interesting to me because 2005, you said it was the Iraq
00:15:37war election. It's an election where you expect voters to be turning out rather reluctantly
00:15:43with an inevitable Labour win. This election was supposed to be different to that, wasn't
00:15:48it? It's a change election. Clearly the narrative, as we've just been talking about, it hasn't
00:15:53captured imaginations, has it? Well, again, it's that sort of no narrative has really
00:15:57been sold to entice people in. If it was a trailer to a movie, to keep going with this,
00:16:03you'd watch it and go, I'll wait for the streaming or I'll wait for it. It wasn't something
00:16:08that made you go, I must go to the cinema and see that on opening weekend. And that's
00:16:11what you're seeing here is that people are kind of going, there is a cohort of people
00:16:16that have gone, I will vote in a general election no matter what and have done that. But actually,
00:16:23you've got a cohort of people that potentially, we'll wait and see what the analysis says,
00:16:28but predominantly historically Tory vote in, who've gone, no, and they've stayed away
00:16:34because that's their protest vote, is actually staying away. And then whether it's a youth
00:16:41vote, whether it's kind of other progressive areas, there's just not been that enticement
00:16:46to actually want to be part of it. Do you think this is something about the campaign
00:16:51that's been almost designed to stagnate the electorate, to put them off, to keep them
00:16:57at home? I mean, there's been a lot of negative campaigning, there's been a general sense
00:17:03of it's about inevitable results, it's about an awful lot of focus on people's characters
00:17:11and saying they're very bland, they're unreliable, they're untrustworthy. Do you think there's
00:17:15been a kind of deliberate thing there? Yeah, and I think as well, because everyone
00:17:19knows that, I was about to say whoever wins, but now that we know that Labour is going
00:17:24to win, then they have a big mess to sort out. And I think that's the thing, a lot of
00:17:28people probably thinking as well, well, you know, the idea that, as I did, perhaps naively,
00:17:33when I started to vote, you almost thought, right, we have a change of government, then
00:17:36suddenly you're going to wake up the next morning and see the obvious sort of effects.
00:17:41In the real world, there's a big mountain to climb. You had Wes Streeting on the news
00:17:45earlier this week, talking about how if you can get NHS waiting lists down to what they
00:17:50were back in 2010, well, by the end of this parliament, at the end of five years of a
00:17:55Labour government, then that will be seen to be a job well done. So in a way, it's like
00:18:01vote for change. This is a big change election, but no one's imagining that it's going to
00:18:05be, you know, if this was a film, you'd almost have the sort of, you know, the new Jerusalem
00:18:08would be there on the morning, as it now is, of the 5th of July. But now, you know, even
00:18:13those, as we assume he will be, you know, cabinet minister saying it'll be five years
00:18:18before we start to see those fruits. So I think people probably are, and Brexit perhaps
00:18:23as well, people who thought that maybe there would be some huge changes that would happen
00:18:26imminently. One could now look back eight years on and ask whether that has actually
00:18:30been delivered. So I think people probably are a bit more sceptical. 2005, there was
00:18:35a lot of suspicion because, of course, there was the Gulf War, the Iraq War. But at the
00:18:39time, people were saying, well, you know, Labour were going to win. You know, Michael
00:18:42Howard perhaps had a, you know, there was one point when he thought he might pull it
00:18:46off. But actually, Tony Blair was a less popular leader, shall we say, than he was
00:18:51in 97. But Labour still won quite handsomely in that election with a fairly decent majority
00:18:56considering it was the third term. So I think some people perhaps have been turned off this
00:19:00time. I know people who haven't voted for the first time in their lifetime in this election
00:19:05because perhaps they feel the result is inevitable and they're not that keen on any of the candidates.
00:19:12You've already shared your first election was 1992. Mine was 1997. We're all giving
00:19:17away our ages. It was your first election. So my first election was 97 as well. Well,
00:19:21you'll remember the same as I will. The 1997 election, it was accompanied by a cultural
00:19:26fanfare. It was Gerry Halliwell in a Union Jack dress. It was Noel Gallagher playing
00:19:32a Union Jack guitar. It was all of that. And it was a musical extravaganza. I don't know
00:19:37whether it was also a filmic extravaganza, possibly a bit.
00:19:40Brasked Off. No, that's a good one. As I'm right, I think I'm right in saying that Brasked
00:19:45Off, which had been released in the cinemas the previous November time, was shown on Channel
00:19:50Four the night before. And that's a very party political film because, of course, it was
00:19:54set during the miners' strike, which, if you think about it, was only, what, 13 years before,
00:19:5912 years even, before the election of 97. So there was that sort of sense at the time.
00:20:04Yeah, films like Brasked Off, which really kind of showed people.
00:20:07Was Full Onesie later?
00:20:09That was in 97. That was in, yeah, that came out exactly, probably around the time of the
00:20:17election. Yeah, in the September, in the September, so just after.
00:20:20It's been missing this time, isn't it? Where is that cultural kind of, you know, that moment
00:20:25of change doesn't really seep through it.
00:20:27Yeah, no, because a lot of those filmmakers kind of have stopped now. I mean, Ken Loach
00:20:31will still bring out sort of those sort of films, but largely there isn't that next generation
00:20:37of director Shane Meadows, you know, kind of someone else who's making those sort of
00:20:41films, who's moved to television more so. And so, yeah, that next generation of filmmakers
00:20:46aren't there.
00:20:47And part of that is funding and part of that is the nature of streaming and that sort of
00:20:53thing. So those stories are coming through in different ways, if they're coming through
00:20:58at all, because that sort of, those writers and directors who had that working class background
00:21:03or those sort of stories, you know, we're now in a time where film school and university
00:21:08costs a lot of money and they're not going, and film funding is done differently.
00:21:12I'll just break through, because we have Ollie Sacks, the leader in Canterbury, with an update
00:21:18on when a result will be coming through there.
00:21:21So, so obvious, I think everyone needs a bit more coffee this evening. Well, it's quite
00:21:29a frustrated feeling on the floor here because we expected the result of Canterbury around
00:21:342.30, then we were told three o'clock. Now we just don't know. It's nearly four o'clock
00:21:40and there's no news about when Canterbury will be called. Lots of debate and discussion
00:21:45and recounts around those last couple of votes. We hopefully will be hearing about the count
00:21:51a little bit later on, hopefully very soon, but there's lots of frustration from candidates,
00:21:56from people in the count themselves. They're all gathering in front of the TV, watching
00:22:01other counts come in. It appears half the count gathered round the TV because nothing
00:22:07seems to be happening here, although votes are now being verified for Herne Bay and Sandwich,
00:22:13so we may get a bit more movement on that as the night progresses.
00:22:18I have spoken to some of the candidates. Louise Harvey-Quirk seems to have almost conceded
00:22:24defeat in a way, admitting that a 20,000 majority might be quite a difficult one to overturn,
00:22:31but it remains to be seen what the actual result will look like and we'll have to wait
00:22:36for an uncertain point in the near future for us to find out about this result.
00:22:49Thank you very much, Ollie, and while Ollie was giving us that update, we also had news
00:22:54that Michael Fabricant and Jonathan Gullis, the latest Conservatives to lose their seats,
00:23:00and that's hitting the right wing of the Conservative Party. That adds an interesting element to
00:23:06the dynamic of where the party goes next, doesn't it?
00:23:10Absolutely, yes, and that is where, again, carrying on this theme, Swala Braverman has
00:23:16won her seat, so she will almost definitely run for leader of the party, and this is what
00:23:23we'll be looking at now is, of those big beasts, who is left standing and which wing
00:23:26of the party do they represent? It is the grand unknowable at this point, but that will
00:23:32be, once we get past the initial forming of the new government, that will be the psychodrama
00:23:38of the summer, because they won't rush to bring in a new leader, there will be a time
00:23:44delay there, but when it happens, there will be bloodletting.
00:23:48And so often that first leader doesn't last that long. Very, very often that ends up being,
00:23:54and this is where another grand narrative, Nigel Farage might be eyeing rather hungrily
00:24:00the perspective of a leader coming in, having to manage that difficult transition with a
00:24:04much smaller party, a much smaller grassroots operation, that inevitably possibly unwinding
00:24:10and leaving a gap for him.
00:24:13Well yeah, and also you can trace it back to 2015 when Jeremy Corbyn won the leadership,
00:24:17and of course, do you remember, he had the last vote, and it was the clock struck midday,
00:24:24and by one he managed to be on the nomination for Labour leader, and then went on to win.
00:24:29So the underdog story, you can imagine, it's almost like the Mr Smith goes to Washington,
00:24:34Mr Corbyn goes to Islington, or Mr Islington goes to Westminster. You've got that thing
00:24:38with Nigel Farage, and you see, if this was a film, you'd have to have something ridiculously
00:24:43fanciful happening, something that nobody can anticipate, the unexpected. But to have
00:24:48now, I mean, well there was one poll yesterday, it was the electoral calculus that was saying
00:24:51that the Lib Dems might be the official opposition, but Nigel Farage said that he'll be leader
00:24:57of reform for five years, but of course, he himself is fully aware that he can say to
00:25:02the Tory party, you're not going to win under anybody else, so let's join forces. There'll
00:25:07be plenty of people who will leave, if there's an alliance like that you won't want to be
00:25:12part of, but interesting people like Soheila Braverman and Priti Patel, on the right wing
00:25:17of the Tory party, who might be sympathetic to a Nigel Farage lead. And also, that'll
00:25:22be fascinating for the media pundits, because again, he was eight times lucky now, seven
00:25:28times he didn't win a seat, now he's won in Parliament. Again, that in itself has got
00:25:32that sort of underdog story, and if he was to go all the way to being leader of the opposition,
00:25:38considering the latest prediction is what were four seats for reform tonight, but if
00:25:43he was to be elected for the first time for reform, and then become leader of the opposition,
00:25:49well that almost is an interesting narrative, as Labour with this ridiculously big majority,
00:25:54where they can do no wrong. In fact, I was listening to one pundit earlier saying that
00:25:57if Labour are now going to be on a majority that size, then you could even have an opposition
00:26:02within the Labour party itself, and they could still get all their legislation through, because
00:26:06they're so big, no-one's going to be talking about the opposition. If Nigel Farage is leader,
00:26:10they will be talking about the opposition. Breaking news, a result is coming in, Tunbridge
00:26:15Wells has gone Liberal Democrat. It will be by a fine margin, we haven't got the numbers
00:26:20yet, but if we're going to talk about big narratives, that's the first time the Liberal
00:26:24Democrats have ever won a seat in Kent. How important is that? Yeah, well again, in terms
00:26:31of these new narratives, again, they're one of these parties that do well at doing the
00:26:36job at the local elections, at grinding away and building up that support. You see this
00:26:41all the time, you need that localised support to build upon. You've seen it with Maidstone
00:26:47Council going green. So there is that element of the small c Conservative vote, who still
00:26:53want to turn out to vote, but going, I can't vote for this, so where else can I go? And
00:26:59if you're part of that form of the One Nation Tory sort of area, you're not going to go
00:27:03to reform, you're going to look the other way. And in some areas they've gone green,
00:27:07in some areas they've gone Lib Dem. It's a very interesting result, and again it adds
00:27:13to what we were saying earlier, it means that can they build upon that to hold it in five
00:27:19years' time, or are we seeing a series of seats that are just turning up to be lost?
00:27:27One of the results that happened is Greens took Bristol Central, that happened again,
00:27:32so that's the first time they've won somewhere outside of Brighton. And adding on to that
00:27:36film discussion, so ironically the Labour person who lost there was the Shadow Culture
00:27:42Minister, so that's a big loss for that Labour team that were coming in.
00:27:46And possibly an instant reshuffle, because he had a Cabinet all planned out.
00:27:50Yeah, who does he move into that? That was someone who understood culture, that was going
00:27:55to be an important thing. Who does he fill that in? So that makes it an interesting thing
00:27:59as they go in.
00:28:00And that opens up an interesting, let's just discuss, we've got a whole raft of new Kent
00:28:04MPs tonight. Some of them quite seasoned, experienced politicians from within Kent,
00:28:10people like Lauren Sullivan, Leader of the Opposition at KCC. Are there going to be big
00:28:14jobs for any of those Kent MPs, do you think?
00:28:17I can't imagine there being big jobs on the off, but I can see some of them, it would
00:28:23be interesting to see how quickly they get the junior thing, or they get something which
00:28:27kind of gives them the experience to then kind of work their way in in two years' time.
00:28:31Because there'll be a number of existing Labour MPs who've done their time in Opposition who'll
00:28:36be lining up and going, right, now is my time. And it'll be interesting to see if you bring,
00:28:41say, Jess Phillips back into the Cabinet, Lisa Landy, will these people be staying on
00:28:49the back benches or will they be brought in?
00:28:52For the political geeks, there'll be interesting things to kind of still see.
00:28:54And on the Conservative side, obviously we're losing one former leadership contender. We
00:29:00do believe Roman Chisholm is in trouble in his seat. But Tom Tugendhat talked about a
00:29:04lot as being a potential outsider for a new Conservative leader. We're talking about the
00:29:10stories that surround candidates. Is his story strong enough to convince the Conservatives
00:29:14that he can win an election for them?
00:29:17Well, I think that the Conservative Party, I was about to say, will have to do a lot
00:29:22of soul searching. I remember Michael Howard in 1997 saying it's a very dark night for
00:29:26the Conservative Party. But actually, I think they've already done it. I think that they
00:29:30knew that they were going to lose. And I suspect that the centre of gravity will shift very
00:29:34quickly and one imagines that Rishi Sunak will be conceding defeat. There was talk of
00:29:40him staying on as leader. Well, it might be, for someone like Nigel Farage, it might be
00:29:43in his interest for Rishi Sunak to stay on because then he can ensure that he can shore
00:29:48up the vote for that hugely unexpected kind of... A few weeks ago, he was talking about
00:29:54not running. Now he could be leader of the opposition. So who can say? Tom Tugendhat.
00:29:58Again, the sort of the figure whose people were touting as a potential leader for a while,
00:30:03but it took him a while even to get into cabinet.
00:30:06We're showing pictures at the moment of Tracey Crouch just arriving here. Obviously not a
00:30:09candidate this time. She took the decision to stand down in Chatham and Aylesford, but
00:30:14has come along to support her candidate, Nathan Gamester there. Sorry.
00:30:17So I was just going to say, so, I mean, again, one thing the Conservative Party have shown
00:30:22is they're very good at removing the leader when time is up, which is what the other parties
00:30:26have shown themselves to be bad at. So the Prime Minister may say that, you know, I'll
00:30:31stay on as party leader. He won't have that choice. They've made it very clear that, you
00:30:35know, they were looking to get rid of him before he called the election. They'll definitely
00:30:38get rid of him after the election.
00:30:39Rain is due to start somewhere around five o'clock this morning. Do we expect him to
00:30:43take the narrative arc? If he called the election in the rain, he should leave in the rain.
00:30:50I think there would be a beautiful synergy to that. In terms of potential leaders for
00:30:54the Conservatives, it'll be really interesting to see if Penny Mordaunt holds on to her seat
00:30:58because it's unlikely. If she does, she's someone of a strong wing of the party, liked
00:31:03the way she held a sword and thought she's the leader that we should have.
00:31:07So, but again, they might not have that option.
00:31:09Yes, and they had her in the election debate, of course. She was the standard, as Amber
00:31:13Rudd was, of course, once upon a time. She was a leadership contender and obviously her
00:31:18political star fell since the 2017 election. And I think you're right. I think Penny Mordaunt
00:31:25would have been seen to be somebody who stood twice to be Prime Minister. She obviously
00:31:29went in government at the time. Yes, I think that she is somebody who, if she held on to
00:31:34her seat, would be seen to be a very sensible, centrist candidate within the Conservative
00:31:38Party. But is it Portsmouth North, isn't it? I think that she is expected to lose.
00:31:43Yes, that's right. Her seat is very much in doubt. And, you know, we're seeing that in
00:31:48Kent as well. We're continuing to talk about Damien Green being one of the big beasts of
00:31:53the Conservative Party who looks to be on the verge of his political career effectively
00:31:58ending.
00:31:59Absolutely. And so it's impossible to know who's going to be left in the Conservative
00:32:04Party till the dust settles. And who would want that? One of the things to consider about
00:32:10the Nigel Farage option, and I hope any of your Reform viewers don't at me, but is that
00:32:16when he was an MEP, he showed he was quite happy not to turn up and quite happy not to
00:32:20do the work. And so while he talks good game about wanting to be the leader of the opposition,
00:32:24does he want to do the work behind the job or does he just want the title and the coverage?
00:32:31So we've now got the figures from the Tunbridge Wells result. They're just about to come up
00:32:37on the screen now. You can see there 23,661 votes for the Liberal Democrats. There was
00:32:44a lot of talk about this being a tight race. In the end that's a 9,000, well just 8,000
00:32:49vote lead over the Conservatives. Labour, who were said to be neck and neck with the
00:32:54Liberal Democrats, quite a long way behind. How do you read that result? Oh, sorry, we're
00:33:00going to Sevenoaks. The result's coming in in Sevenoaks.
00:33:09Thank you everybody. I'd like to declare the results for the election of a Member of Parliament
00:33:18for the Sevenoaks constituency. I, Dr Paul Rathmore, being the acting returning officer
00:33:25at the above election, do hereby give notice that the number of votes recorded for each
00:33:32candidate at the said election as follows. Adam Hibbert, Social Democrat Party, 209.
00:33:42Elwin Lloyd-Jones, re-joined EU, 298.
00:33:51Laura Marie Madsen, Green Party, 2034.
00:33:58Jane Douglas, Millmine, FormUK, 9,300.
00:34:04Denise Rosanna, Donald McDonald, Labour and Co-operative Party, 6,802.
00:34:16Richard Giles, Strickfield, Liberal Democrats, 12,888.
00:34:26Laura Trott, Conservative Party candidate, 18,300.
00:34:34Laura Trott. Laura Trott winning there. She has 18,000 votes. The Liberal Democrats, who
00:34:46have performed very strongly in Sevenoaks, 12,000 votes. So that's a big slice out of
00:34:53what is one of Kent's biggest majorities, isn't it?
00:34:55Again, it's that small C Conservative narrative. You know, again, it's that area of people
00:35:00who, you know, always turn up to vote, always kind of take part, looking for where they
00:35:05can feel comfortable in the wider narratives of local plans and development of family,
00:35:12you know, whether it be family, whether it be their green spaces, you know, all of those
00:35:18sort of conversations. The NIMBY kind of, you know, kind of derogatory area. But yeah,
00:35:23it makes sense within that purpose.
00:35:26Chris, let's pull back to that Tunbridge Wells result that we just saw because we were
00:35:30told that that was going to be very, very close. It wasn't, really.
00:35:32No, and I was watching yesterday. Now, a few days ago, the Lib Dems were expected to at
00:35:38least have a chance of taking it, but they said, no, it's going to be Conservative. And
00:35:41I was watching the, you know, looking at the vote tracker earlier this evening and BBC.
00:35:46It was pretty obvious that the Conservatives were expected to take it after all, and the
00:35:49Lib Dems would have no seats in Kent. And now, actually, that's a significant majority.
00:35:54Was it 8,000, 9,000 that I just saw?
00:35:56Yes, over 8,000.
00:35:58I mean, that's extraordinary because it wasn't close at all. And, you know, and it's, I mean,
00:36:02Tunbridge Wells, you know, the classic, you know, I'm not from this part of the world
00:36:05and everyone knows the sort of, you know, the traditional Tunbridge Wells is as Conservative
00:36:08as it gets. So that's one of the big stories of the night. Because if Tunbridge Wells is
00:36:13now going any other colour than blue, then it shows that there is no such thing anymore
00:36:18as a safe Conservative seat.
00:36:20I've been staying away from the B word so far tonight.
00:36:23Like everyone.
00:36:25The shadow of Brexit here. Tunbridge Wells was one of the most strongly remain voting
00:36:30parts of Kent. It's Conservative, but it's a particular type of Conservative, isn't it?
00:36:34This is your point. Are we seeing that divide in the Conservatives happening?
00:36:39Absolutely, because in an election in which no one mentioned the B word, you know, people
00:36:44actively stayed away from it, it was still there. Whether it be people kind of frustrated
00:36:49that it never really happened and we need to protest rightwards or whether what we did
00:36:54get, actually, I realised I was wrong to do and so they've gone centrist. Yeah, it's very
00:37:00much there. But again, with Labour having such a strong majority and because they don't
00:37:05want to have the conversation, they have made it very clear, we're not reversing it, this
00:37:09is kind of it for a generation. So it will just be this undercurrent of misery as things
00:37:15get chipped away here and reversed there and strengthened there, whether it be in immigration
00:37:19or trade or etc.
00:37:20Some news coming in, in Sheppey, candidates are being lined up and the Gillingham and
00:37:25Raynham result is due to be coming soon.
00:37:27I might need to run away.
00:37:29Yes, indeed. Well, we might. We'll just hang on to you for as long as we can, Stephen.
00:37:32We know you want to run off for that one. Half an hour's time. Half an hour's time.
00:37:38So we'll keep an eye out for that. But let's talk about that one. We were talking about
00:37:42it a little bit earlier. What kind of a result are you expecting to see there in Gillingham
00:37:46and Raynham?
00:37:47Well, we kind of, in the beginning, we kind of, it was very much a kind of close, you
00:37:51know, it felt close. And then as the national picture kind of, everyone kept saying, oh,
00:37:56the polls are ridiculous. They're all, you know, they're constant. And when the polls
00:37:59didn't change, it kind of became clear that, again, there was this narrative, there was
00:38:02this feeling that he was a MP that had not done a great job representing his constituency.
00:38:09I'm sure his party would rabidly disagree with that point. But there was that issue
00:38:15and that when it came down to it, that he didn't have that personal vote. He's been
00:38:21in power since 2010. That would help him. And so, I mean, in half an hour, I could be
00:38:27looking at four when he wins and everything. But the expectation is that, you know, that
00:38:32his time is coming to an end.
00:38:35But if this was a film, I mean, in 2022, he was one of the candidates to be Conservative
00:38:39Party leader. And without disrespect, I didn't really know very much about him. And so, and
00:38:45I think he struggled to get very many supporters, you know, to be on the ballot paper. So, you
00:38:50know, he was one of the first to be, you know, to drop off. But, you know, extraordinary
00:38:55again, you know, those sort of narratives, you know, how history could have gone very
00:38:59differently.
00:39:00So, we're seeing pictures now from Swale. Importantly, this one, this was a seat, Sidney
00:39:07Moore and Sheppey that went red in 1997. But the exit polls tonight have suggested it would
00:39:12stay blue today. But we've already seen the exit polls being wrong. They've been wrong
00:39:18in Tunbridge Wells. This could be a very significant result for Labour if they can pick this one
00:39:23up as an extra one again. How likely do you think that is?
00:39:26Again, based on the national picture, you would expect it to go. Again, I don't know
00:39:32what the turnout was there and the effect that that has on suppressing any sort of change.
00:39:37Again, reform is having that expected result in terms of in these areas where they're not
00:39:43winning here, but they've done the job of kind of suppressing that Conservative vote
00:39:49in some ways, making it a three-way close-ish thing. So, again, you know, you would have
00:39:56thought Conservatives would hold on to it for a very long time, but I would not be surprised
00:40:01if it went if it went Labour tonight.
00:40:03Yeah, and then the seat that I'm looking to as well is Herne Bay and Sandwich. Again,
00:40:07that could defy expectations.
00:40:09So, that's Penny Morden.
00:40:10That's Penny Morden's result. It's just about to be announced. We'll see that one come in
00:40:15in a second. Why do you think the Herne Bay and Sandwich is so important?
00:40:19Yeah, so it looks like Penny Morden has just lost narrowly. Herne Bay and Sandwich, it's
00:40:24a new constituency and geographically it's an interestingly shaped new seat. Of course,
00:40:30Roger Gale is a veteran Conservative MP. He's been there since 1983, representing the North
00:40:37Thanet seat. Yeah, I mean, a few hours ago he was predicted to win, but after what I've
00:40:43just seen in Tunbridge Wells, I'm not going to believe anything.
00:40:47Exactly. Everything is to play for, isn't it? As you've just said, Penny Morden, widely
00:40:51tipped to be the next leader of the Conservative Party, no longer an MP. She's lost by 700
00:40:57votes. 700 votes to Labour in Portsmouth.
00:41:02Yeah, yeah. I mean, I'm just looking at the figures on the screen because it was actually
00:41:08she's done better than a lot of people expected because that seat has not always been Conservative
00:41:14and there's obviously a big personal vote there as well because, you know, that is tighter
00:41:19than it might have been. If it wasn't for her recognition factor, I suspect it wouldn't
00:41:23be that close.
00:41:24And on the screen now in a kind of 24 style, we're seeing images both of Swale, City Water
00:41:31Sheppey, just about to be announced. Are we going to hear City Water Sheppey now?
00:41:35We are going to be looking at the bundles to ensure that we are able to win that bundle.
00:41:40So, total supervisor, can you please liaise with Lisa and Joe to make sure we have the
00:41:48right ones to look and to expect from us. Thank you.
00:41:53So, one of those little moments in an election was when we thought something was going to
00:42:07happen. Someone appeared on the stage, but I'm sure that the result in City Water Sheppey
00:42:13is imminent. At the same time, we can see some activity there down on the floor in Medway.
00:42:20We'll hear from Cameron, I'm sure, as soon as something happens there.
00:42:30You can see all of that, all the media. But yes, Chris, there's been elements of farce
00:42:35around this election as well. We've been talking about all of the different kind of narratives.
00:42:43The farce element, sorry, we're just looking at that as we're seeing possibly something
00:42:47in Medway. But there have been some elements of farce around this, both from the Conservatives,
00:42:50who I'm sure people will be very familiar with, but also with Ed Davey. What have you
00:42:54made of his campaign?
00:42:55Well, in a way, maybe he's pulled off a blinder because he was doing something at first. It
00:43:00was publicity seeking. He was doing all those bungee jumpings and he was going to fairgrounds
00:43:04and he was making a fool of himself and going into the water. He admitted himself that he
00:43:08deliberately fell in the water because it was good publicity. And I suppose Boris Johnson
00:43:14did that. Because when he was Mayor of London, of course, he was famously doing all those
00:43:17bungee jumps. People thought, oh, yes, he's going where other politicians can't.
00:43:20When he was stuck dangling on a wire, waving two little flags, yes.
00:43:23And Ed Davey seems to be doing the same thing. But also, considering that they've done this
00:43:27well, no one's going to look back and say Ed Davey made a fool of himself, because they'll
00:43:31say, well, actually, they got their best result. Well, 2005 must be pretty close. I mean, they're
00:43:35predicted to get 56, according to the latest poll. That must be in the region of what they
00:43:40scored in 2005 under Charles Kennedy. So, that was their high point.
00:43:43So, I think that Ed Davey actually will come out of this quite well. He was talking about
00:43:48caring. He was, you know, as a carer himself for his disabled son. So, in a way, actually,
00:43:52I think that that narrative that is a very deeply personal one, I think, actually, clearly
00:43:57has resonated with people. Of course, well, I was about to say not so much in Kent, but
00:44:01of course, now we do know. I'm recalibrating as we're talking. Because since we've been
00:44:05talking, of course, Liberal Democrats have taken the Tunbridge Wells seat. And earlier
00:44:10this evening, there was some criticism that maybe he didn't, in the studio with Andy,
00:44:14I think it was talked about how maybe Ed Davey could have made more of an impression, he
00:44:19could have come to Kent and done more campaigning in Kent. So, if they've taken Tunbridge Wells
00:44:23with a limited showing from Ed Davey, then that goes to show that Lib Dems really are
00:44:27reaching those parts that other parties are not reaching.
00:44:30We're into the world of advertising now.
00:44:33The excuse from Sittingbourne and Sheppey is that it was a partial recount there, so
00:44:36there might be a little wait for that result. Chris, while we're talking, I want to remove
00:44:41your film hat for a moment and talk to you about some of your other hats on. You're a
00:44:44university lecturer, as am I, I suppose I should declare. Universities are likely to
00:44:49be quite high on Keir Starmer's problem list, aren't they, quite early on. Do you think
00:44:54he's going to be able to look at what is a crisis in higher education? Many universities,
00:45:00financially in a lot of trouble, some said to be on the brink of closure. Is this going
00:45:06to be a big target for him, thinking particularly about us here in Kent and how important universities
00:45:12are to our economy here?
00:45:13Yes, and also there's an interesting mirroring between what's going on in terms of what we
00:45:17see with the Conservative Party and what is happening particularly in arts and humanities
00:45:20subjects. There is a real crisis going on here. Now, this is a good one because the
00:45:26idea that suddenly Keir Starmer, who's been very careful not to make promises that overnight
00:45:31suddenly there's going to be great change, so the idea that he's going to suddenly save
00:45:35all the universities, that may not happen. But the narrative has to change drastically
00:45:41because when you see departments and universities going under, then people will be looking to
00:45:46the government to provide real leadership.
00:45:48We've just got some pictures here on Medway from the accounting floor here in Medway.
00:45:55We're seeing Raymond Chishty there, so that suggests that the Gillingham and Reynham result
00:46:01might be coming soon, heading his way towards the stage.
00:46:07There's lots of hugs. Maybe he's saying thank you but goodbye to some of his supporters.
00:46:16APPLAUSE
00:46:23And here comes the Labour candidate. That's Lauren Edwards.
00:46:33Nashaba Khan in front there in the red suit. Tris Osborne just behind.
00:46:39Getting a round of applause there.
00:46:46Everything we're hearing from the accounting floor is that it looks like all three seats
00:46:55in Medway will turn red, which will suggest why they have a slightly more triumphant look
00:47:00to them as they move through the hall there towards the stage.
00:47:08The most risky of these seats was Chatham and Aylesford. It was the lowest of the three
00:47:13on Labour's target list. It will be very interesting to see how big the majorities
00:47:18are here if they do indeed turn red.
00:47:25We're not sure how soon an announcement might be.
00:47:28There is quite a gathering there at the end of the hall.
00:47:33APPLAUSE
00:47:48More applause as the candidates make their way down there.
00:47:55There's Vince Maple, leader of Medway Council and former candidate himself.
00:48:03In Chatham and Aylesford.
00:48:20We're just waiting to see if the returning officer takes the stage.
00:48:24APPLAUSE
00:48:40Chris, these are the moments, aren't they?
00:48:43These are incredible. I don't know whether the candidates really know already.
00:48:50They see the piles of papers and of course... Am I right in thinking that sometimes they know
00:48:55before they go on stage or do they find out when the returning officer announces?
00:48:59I think they have a good idea before they go on stage.
00:49:03The thing is, there is something ironically anticlimactic because there are huge changes
00:49:07but it's all expected. In 1992 there was a different sort of narrative.
00:49:13At the beginning of the evening people thought that Labour might have won.
00:49:18At the end of the evening you had a return of a Conservative government.
00:49:22It was kind of unprecedented.
00:49:24This evening, whereas just five years ago we were looking at Labour,
00:49:28there was a question as to whether Labour would even be a functional opposition
00:49:32and whether they would be viable. What was the future of the Labour Party?
00:49:35People thought it would be two terms before there was any possibility of them coming into government.
00:49:39Now you're talking about one of the biggest majorities, up there with Tony Blair's 1997 one.
00:49:45I think that there is a real sense now, and politicians in an age of 24-hour, seven-day-a-week politics,
00:49:51there is that sense now that you can't escape, you can't pretend that the polling evidence,
00:49:57even Jacob Rees-Mogg this evening was saying, that at a time like this there is an inevitability.
00:50:04Because 20, 30 years ago politicians would say, well ignore the polls,
00:50:08the only one that matters is what happens on election day.
00:50:10That's not what I'm seeing this time.
00:50:13They're being very open, and surprisingly open, whether that's strategic or not,
00:50:17to be conceding before the election that, as you mentioned earlier, is that voter suppression.
00:50:23So in a funny way there's something deeply both mesmerising,
00:50:27because obviously our guest has just gone down into the hall itself in order to see the results,
00:50:32but there is also a sense of inevitability pervading over this.
00:50:35In fact, actually if Labour don't win all three, then that would be more of a story
00:50:39than the fact that they actually take those three seats from the Conservatives.
00:50:43In the context of this year, absolutely, yes.
00:50:45So everything here is lateral, everything's on its head.
00:50:47It's not, I mean, the story was, you know, Penny Mordaunt, if she'd won her seat,
00:50:51that in a way would have been more of a story than actually losing it.
00:50:55So everything is kind of upside down, like the Diana Ross song.
00:50:58Yeah, but it is just absolutely compelling human drama as much as anything else, isn't it?
00:51:04And we've got people here who are going to be propelled now into extraordinary positions of responsibility.
00:51:11And actually, I mean, in Medway here we've got three Labour candidates,
00:51:15all of whom are senior members of the administration of Medway Council,
00:51:19presumably now would be leaving vacancies, possible by-elections here,
00:51:25a kind of brain drain, if you like, on Vince Mabel's top team at Medway Council,
00:51:30and possibly a bittersweet victory from his perspective if he sees all three of them elevated up to Parliament.
00:51:38Yes, and I did see Vince earlier this evening, and I wanted to ask him, I didn't actually,
00:51:43whether he himself might have considered standing, because, you know, that might not be his ambition.
00:51:48And of course he's a very well-known figure in local politics, and he may be very happy where he is.
00:51:54But you're absolutely right. I mean, there is a sense, you know, it was in 1997, there was one,
00:51:59he was only about 21, and he was still living at home with his parents.
00:52:02There was a Labour candidate who took a safe Conservative seat,
00:52:06and he was living at home with his parents, and it was like, hang on a minute,
00:52:09you know, I've got a job, and I've got, you know, I've got education,
00:52:13I've got all these sort of things to do, and suddenly I'm a member of Parliament.
00:52:16And so there is that sense that sometimes the unexpected does happen,
00:52:20and you have people who tomorrow morning, or even now, will be elected members of Parliament,
00:52:24and that's almost like beyond their wildest dreams.
00:52:27Yes, really didn't see it coming, yes, absolutely, and that won't be the case here.
00:52:31I think all three of the Labour politicians were very aware of it.
00:52:35So as we get to that time of the day now, where all of the counts are starting to reach their conclusions,
00:52:42we're hearing that Dartford is also now very close. We'll have pictures from there soon.
00:52:46Dartford, remember, is the nation's oldest bellwether seat.
00:52:52It has been right in general elections for 200 years.
00:52:56We're sticking with Medway for the moment, but as soon as we hear a Dartford result is coming in,
00:53:01we'll have that for you as well.
00:53:05Those bellwether seats are always an interesting thing.
00:53:07In America as well, Ohio or Florida.
00:53:11Florida was the big one in America.
00:53:14Here we go, on the stage.
00:53:16For the Gillingham and Raynham constituency, please come to the side of the stage
00:53:21so that I can share the provisional result.
00:53:24And I will also be asking that Mr Mayor joins us as well, please.
00:53:29So candidates and agents for the Gillingham and Raynham constituency, to the side of the stage, please.
00:53:35Thank you.
00:53:44So this is Gillingham and Raynham, the first of the Medway seats to be announced.
00:53:48That's Raymond Chisholm's seat at the moment.
00:53:51The candidates will soon be taking the stage, lining up for that result.
00:53:56We'll have that result for you as it's announced.
00:53:59You'll be able to watch that happening right here.
00:54:11Just waiting for those candidates to take the stage now.
00:54:26Incredibly tense moments as we wait for these results to come in.
00:54:29We know Dartford is also imminent.
00:54:47Canterbury will also be coming in.
00:54:50Canterbury will also be coming in.
00:54:54We'll have that for you as well.
00:54:59In fact, we're likely to be going straight over to Canterbury.
00:55:02Oliver Leader de Sacks will be with us.
00:55:06Duffield, Rosie, Labour Party, 19,531.
00:55:19Harvey Quirk, Louise Nicole, the Conservative Party candidate, 10,878.
00:55:29Porter, Bridget Ann, Reform UK, 6,805.
00:55:42Stanton, Henry John Arthur, Green Party, 5,920.
00:55:59Timpson, Russ, Liberal Democrats, 3,812.
00:56:12The total number of ballot papers rejected was 173.
00:56:18The electorate is 71,155.
00:56:22Ballot papers issued, 47,400.
00:56:28Rosie Duffield has just held on to her seat, extended her majority in Canterbury,
00:56:33and we're going straight back to Medway for Gillingham and Raynham.
00:56:52I, Councillor Marian Estroff, the Worshipful Mayor of Medway,
00:57:00being the returning officer for the parliamentary constituency of Gillingham and Raynham,
00:57:07hereby give notice that the number of votes given for each candidate
00:57:12in the general election of 4th of July 2024 was as follows.
00:57:19Katherine Victoria Belmont, known as Kate Belmont, the Green Party, 2,318.
00:57:32Stuart James Bourne, Liberal Democrats, 2,248.
00:57:41Atta-Ur Rehman Chishti, known as Rehman Chishti, the Conservative Party candidate, 11,590.
00:58:01Peter James Cook, Independent, 344.
00:58:07Nashaba Parveen Khan, Labour Party, 15,562.
00:58:18Roger James Peacock, Christian People's Alliance, 175.
00:58:39Mohamed Rizvi Raouf, known as Rizvi Raouf, Reform UK, 8,792.
00:58:58Peter Anthony Wheeler, Social Democratic Party, 111.
00:59:05And declare that Nashaba Parveen Khan, Labour Party,
00:59:13has been elected as the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Gillingham and Raynham.
00:59:35The number of rejected votes, rejected and not counted by me at this election was
00:59:48for want of official mark, zero.
00:59:52For voting for more than one candidate, 32.
00:59:57For writing or marks by which the voter could be identified, zero.
01:00:03For being unmarked, avoided, for uncertainty, 106.
01:00:10Total, 138.
01:00:18Thank you, Mr Mayor.
01:00:22I would now like to invite the newly elected Member of Parliament for Gillingham and Raynham,
01:00:28Nashaba Khan, to say a few words, followed by Raymond Chistie,
01:00:32the former Member of Parliament for Gillingham and Raynham.
01:00:35Nashaba, please.
01:00:47I would firstly like to thank the Returning Officer, Electoral Services,
01:00:52Council staff and the police for their hard work in ensuring that this election has run smoothly.
01:00:59Today, the people of Gillingham and Raynham have voted for the change the country and our area desperately needs.
01:01:07Putting your trust in a Labour Party that is revitalised and back in the service of working people.
01:01:16This victory is not just mine, but ours.
01:01:19A testament to our determination to hold out for hope and a desire for a better future.
01:01:26We will not let you down.
01:01:29I want to take a moment to acknowledge my opponent, Raymond Chistie.
01:01:33Although we stand on opposite sides of the political spectrum, I recognise the years of service you have given.
01:01:39I also want to give a personal thank you to all the other candidates for having run respectful campaigns during this period.
01:01:46The Labour campaign was not just about winning an election.
01:01:51It was about turning a page on a period in our country that has seen a rapid breakdown in trust.
01:02:00Trust in politics, trust in politicians and over time, if left unchecked, our trust in one another.
01:02:09Standards in public life need to be brought front and centre and our politics need to shake up.
01:02:16Keir Starmer's Labour Party will do that, starting today.
01:02:30And at the heart of all of this is this constituency, my home, Gillingham and Raynham.
01:02:38I am so proud of this place, where I was born, grew up and love.
01:02:44And I cannot tell you what it means to have the opportunity to represent my hometown.
01:02:50But I am also aware of the challenges that we face here.
01:02:54Whether that be our high streets, the state of our NHS or the lack of economic opportunities.
01:03:00I cannot promise you that a Labour government or I can fix all of those problems overnight.
01:03:05But I can promise you this.
01:03:08I will do everything in my power to champion our community, to create opportunities and to build a better future.
01:03:18Over the last 14 years, people in Gillingham and Raynham have been neglected.
01:03:22That changes today.
01:03:25I will be an accessible, hard-working and visible Member of Parliament.
01:03:30For everyone in Gillingham and Raynham, those who voted for me, those who voted differently and those who stayed at home.
01:03:38I promise to be that strong voice that has been missing here for so long and to fight for the issues that matter to us.
01:03:47And I will not allow the politics of division and hate to divide us.
01:04:00Proudly championing our diversity and ensuring this remains an inclusive place.
01:04:08Because we should all know that there is more that unites us than divides us.
01:04:14I also want to take an opportunity to thank my family, who have been my unwavering support throughout the years.
01:04:21As well as my closest friends who have always believed in me and picked me up at my toughest moments.
01:04:26You all know who you are.
01:04:29Of course, it comes with a deep sadness that my biggest champion and my hero, my dad, is not here with us today.
01:04:36But I know this moment would have meant so much to him and his words have supported and guided me through this campaign.
01:04:44Thank you to my brilliant agent, Andy Stamp.
01:04:48My campaign organiser, Labour Party staff, Labour councillors and the entire Labour family.
01:04:53And long-standing members and you who helped build an incredibly professional and positive campaign.
01:04:59Your hard work is the reason for this success and it belongs to all of you.
01:05:05And finally, to the people of Gillingham and Raynham.
01:05:09You have put your faith in me, given me an opportunity and I promise you I won't let you down.
01:05:16Tonight we celebrate, but tomorrow we roll up our sleeves and we get to work.
01:05:22Thank you.
01:05:36Mr Mayor, through you, can I thank all the council officials for the amazing work that they have done year in, year out in the administration of these elections.
01:05:49Because these elections go to the fundamental cornerstone of our country, democracy.
01:05:54And that has been delivered today and through you, Mr Chief Executive, to your officials.
01:06:01Back from 2010, 15, 17, 19 and today.
01:06:06The officials who have conducted this election have done an outstanding job.
01:06:11Thank you to each and every one of you for all that you do and the clerks and the presiding officers throughout the day and what you've done over the years.
01:06:22Thank you. You have restored trust in our democratic process when we see that being challenged around the world.
01:06:30May I also thank the police.
01:06:33Thank you for what you do, what you have done and what you will continue to do.
01:06:39Members of Parliament who are elected today will find many challenges.
01:06:45Some are to do with MPs' security from all sides of the House.
01:06:51And therefore, at the cornerstone of that is the police.
01:06:55Thank you for what you do, you have done and you'll continue to do for my successor and all public officials in that regard.
01:07:04Thank you.
01:07:06Can I, at the very outset also, congratulate my successor.
01:07:14And I wish her all the very best in standing up and fighting for Gillingham and Raynham.
01:07:23Gillingham and Raynham is my hometown and I came here at the age of six and I did not speak a word of English.
01:07:30These towns, Gillingham and Raynham, when we talk about inclusivity and not division,
01:07:36they elected this guy from Pakistan who came here and did not speak a word of English as their Member of Parliament for four consecutive elections.
01:07:45And that's what these towns stand for. Inclusivity.
01:07:49And they talk about, they are about aspiration.
01:07:52You can come here, not speak a word of English, but you can go on and be a Member of Parliament at the age of 31
01:07:58and serve your hometowns.
01:08:02We may disagree on politics, I've served here on the Council for 16 years and three years on the Cabinet
01:08:08and through you, the Leader of the Council.
01:08:11And we've had our differences on politics but we've always been civil.
01:08:15We've always been cordial and I thank you for that because that's what democracy is about in that regard.
01:08:22And I come on to what we are seeing today.
01:08:25Politics. National trends. They come, they go.
01:08:31They favour some parties, 97, they favoured Labour.
01:08:35Labour took all three seats here.
01:08:38Jonathan Shaw was a very good Labour Member of Parliament.
01:08:41Jonathan Shaw. He was a Labour Member of Parliament but Jonathan Shaw was a good man
01:08:48because that's what politics is about, working across the board and we've done that in that regard.
01:08:52And then they went in our way in 2019 when we took 61% share of the vote.
01:08:57The point I make on that is politic trends, national swings, they come, they go in that regard.
01:09:05And whilst you are elected, whoever that is, as a Member of Parliament, it's an immense privilege
01:09:10whether it's a day or whether it's 14 years, to represent your hometowns.
01:09:14And for me, for the past 14 years, I'm immensely proud of what we have delivered in that regard.
01:09:20And I just want to end on this.
01:09:23Candidates, whether it's this candidate or it's another candidate, are only as good as the team around them.
01:09:30In Gillingham and Raynham, during my entire 14 years as a Member of Parliament, I had the best team.
01:09:37They worked hard and we won four elections.
01:09:41It didn't go our way today and it hasn't gone our way around the country
01:09:45because the public have decided they want a different course of direction.
01:09:49And I respect that.
01:09:52But I thought we could buck the trend here.
01:09:56We worked hard and the person who led the management of that campaign
01:10:01was my brilliant, brilliant Parliamentary Agent, Martin Potter.
01:10:05Thank you for what you have done and what you will do in the future, along with Councillor Roger Barrett.
01:10:12You, as a Deputy Agent for me, have been absolutely brilliant.
01:10:15Councillors, volunteers, activists, thank you for all that you have done over the past 14 years
01:10:21in electing a Conservative Member of Parliament here.
01:10:25And I wish the local Conservative group on the Council here all the best
01:10:31in holding the Executive on the local Council to account.
01:10:35Because, touching on what Neshava said, for democracy to function,
01:10:39you need the Administration and the Executive, which will be a Labour government,
01:10:44to have effective opposition.
01:10:46And we now, as the Conservative Party, will go, regroup, come back, and fight and fight.
01:10:52And we will fight to win again. Thank you so very much.
01:11:07So there we have an absolute cascade of news coming in all at once there.
01:11:14You can see on the screen the Gillingham and Raynham results.
01:11:17That's the first of the three Medway seats going to Labour.
01:11:21And, of course, just to remind you there, Raymond Chisholme, once a leadership candidate for the Conservative Party,
01:11:27losing his majority quite substantially there.
01:11:32At the same time, we heard Rosie Duffield extending her majority.
01:11:37And we heard Dartford going to Labour. We'll have some footage of that very soon.
01:11:44It's a red wave at the moment.
01:11:47Yeah, and also, Rosie Duffield, I mean, when she won in 2017,
01:11:51and she's not on the same wing of the party as Jeremy Corbyn,
01:11:54but considering that seat had only ever been Conservative.
01:11:57We're going to go over to Abbey Hook in the KMTV studio for more reaction
01:12:01on those three results that have just come in.