General Election 2024: Lib Dem Lee Dillon wins in Newbury and Labour candidate Liv Bailey wins in Reading West and Mid Berkshire
Both counts are under way here at Newbury College for the 2024 General Election.
Our reporters, Sarah Bosley and Cameron Blackshaw, along with photographer Phil Cannings and Local Democracy Reporter Niki Hinman, will be at the count throughout the night, bringing you all the latest news and interviews.
Keep an eye on our live blog to stay up-to-date with the results as they come in.
The counts for both Newbury and Reading West and Mid Berkshire are taking place at the same venue in Newbury and we will also be keeping an eye on results in North West Hampshire too.
6.40am: And we’ve also spoken to Lee Dillon now. He told us: “I’m delighted with the result. It’s been years of hard work and us listening to residents here in Newbury and they’ve given us their trust to represent them in Parliament and we won’t let them down. I won’t let them down and I’ll make sure I’m a strong voice for the people of Newbury.
“Laura had a 12,000 majority coming into this so to win by over 2,000 votes is testament to the hard work of my team.
“There’s no finer MP to follow in the footsteps of than David Rendel [the last Newbury Liberal Democrat MP].”
He added that he knew David would be “super proud” looking down knowing that Newbury is yellow again.
6.35am: First chat with Olivia Bailey. She told Newburytoday: “I am so delighted, proud and humbled and just so determined to live up to the trust people have put in me today.
“It’s a fantastic night for Labour. It’s a changed Labour Party. We are going to govern as a changed Labour Party, it’s going to be a government focussed on serving working people, getting our public services back on track and our economy secure again.”
6.22am: Reading West and Mid Berkshire results. Labour win.
Adrian Abbs (Independent) 562
Olivia Bailey (Labour) 16,273
Helen Belcher (Liberal Democrat) 5,103
Kate Bosley (Reform UK) 6,260
Carolyne Culver (Green) 3,169
Ross Mackinnon (Conservative) 14,912
Adie Peppiatt (Independent) 272
6.15am: Labour candidate Olivia Bailey wins in Reading West and Mid Berkshire. Liv won the newly formed seat with a majority of around 2,000 votes with Conservative candidate Ross Mackinnon coming in second.
6.11am: The candidates for Reading West and Mid Berkshire have just gathered behind the stage. Their results will follow shortly.
6.06am: Newbury constituency results. Lib Dem gain from Conservative.
Liz Bell (Labour) 3,662
Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat) 19,645
Laura Farris (Conservative) 17,268
Earl Jesse (Freedom Alliance) 153
Gary Johnson (UKIP) 131
Steve Masters (Green) 2,714
Doug Terry (Reform UK) 5,357
6.04am: Lee Dillon wins in Newbury. The Liberal Democrat candidate won with a majority of 2,377 votes.
5.46am: We are expecting the results for both constituencies any minute now. We will be broadcasting on Facebook live shortly so keep your eyes peeled.
5.33am: They’ve just set up the stage at the end of the sports hall. We think we’re close to hearing the result for the new seat of Reading West and Mid Berkshire. Stay tuned folks!
5.14am: If you’re just waking up, good morning and welcome to the blog! We are still here at Newbury College and the count is still under way. We will let you know of any announcements as soon as we hear them.
4.58am: The Conservatives hold North West Hampshire with the incumbent MP Kit Malthouse retaining his seat.
Results for North West Hampshire
Kit Malthouse (Conservative): 17,770
Andy Fitchett (Labour): 14,482
Luigi Gregori (Lib Dem): 7,626
Hina West (Green): 2,745
Andrew Meacham (Reform UK): 7,734
Phil Heath (Hampshire Independents): 466
171 rejected ballots
64.85 per cent turnout
4.57am: It has finally been confirmed, the news we all expected since the exit poll. Labour has won the 2024 General Election. Sir Keir Starmer will become the new prime minister.
4.50am: Morning everyone. We’ve just had a surge of views here so you’re obviously all waking up to check the results. No declarations from Newbury or Reading West and Mid Berkshire to bring you just yet, but we’re expecting North West Hampshire any minute now.
4.40am: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt both retain their seats, but Mr Sunak concedes the election to Labour.
4.30am: North West Hampshire results are expected within the next 15 minutes.
4.20am: Time for another national update - Wes Streeting retains his seat for Labour. Conservative Penny Mordaunt has lost her seat, along with Johnny Mercer and Gillian Keegan.
4.10am: Tiredness is definitely setting in as the press desk is now discussing how many carpet tiles it has taken to cover the sports hall floor.
4am: Laura Farris has arrived at the Newbury count. Gary Johnson, the UKIP candidate is here too.
3.45am: And the BBC came out on top in the battle of the media outlets in chess.
3.35am: Let’s take a look at the national picture now. It’s 126 seats for Labour, 20 for Conservatives, 16 for the Lib Dems, 2 for Reform and 4 Independents.
Kier Starmer has held his seat, but Grant Shapps, defence secretary, loses his.
Jeremy Corbyn wins in Islington North, as an Independent and the two Reform seats go to Nigel Farage and Lee Anderson.
3.28am: It’s the NWN v the BBC in chess here at Newbury College now. On the tables behind, the count continues.
2.28am: The total turnout for North West Hampshire constituency has been announced and it was 64.85 per cent. Counting is underway south of the county border.
2.20am: Lee Anderson has won his seat in Ashfield, making him the first Reform UK MP of the night.
2.14am: Labour has made more gains throughout the country having taken seats such as Swindon North and the Vale of Glamorgan from the Conservatives. Labour have now gained eight seats while the Tories have lost 10, losing the two remaining seats to the Lib Dems.
2.10am: The Liberal Democrat candidate for Reading West and Mid Berkshire has said she feels “really positive” about her election campaign, but “the count is not over until it’s over”.
Helen Belcher is present at the count here at Newbury College. She said: “We feel really positive about our campaign.
“We’ve had a lot of positive messages, a lot of really good engagement and feedback. People really liked what we were saying.
“I’m absolutely exhausted and the count is not over until it’s over.
“It would be nice to do well but that is not under our control. We will have to see what the voters say in the end.”
In response to the suggestion that she had come over very well in several recent hustings events in her constituency, she said: “There’s always an element of performance in politics and there is an element of performance in me. It is part of the job.
“Putting yourself up to scrutiny like that on the public stage where you’ve got absolutely no idea what you will be asked is a bit terrifying if I’m being brutally honest.
“But again, it gave us the opportunity to put across the positive policies to the problems that the country is facing and people clearly like what they’ve heard.”
The Lib Dems were projected to gain an impressive 61 seats in yesterday evening’s exit poll.
“It particularly demonstrates we are backed as a third party nationally,” Helen said.
“If you look at the threats the country is facing from international pressures, the problems that we are facing domestically and the discourse that is happening, it is really good to see that there will be a strong liberal voice back in Parliament and that is something that we have sorely missed for the last nine years.”
Helen was pleased with the projection, but she added: “An exit poll is just an exit poll.”
2am: And now we wait. It’s gone very quiet in the count now.
1.55am: And just a few minutes later the verification finished in the Reading West and Mid Berkshire constituency too.
There were 46,662 ballots cast, a turnout of 67.8%.
Counting has now begun in the Reading West and Mid Berkshire constituency.
1.50am: Verification for the Newbury constituency has now finished. There were 49,157 ballots cast, which is a turn out of 68.3% – down from the 73% turn out in 2019.
Counting has now begun in the Newbury constituency.
1.40am: Lib Dems have gained Harrogate and Knaresbrough from the Conservatives.
It’s a hold for Labour in Jarrow and Gateshead East and a Labour gain in Stroud.
Conservatives pick up their first seat of the night with a hold in Rayleigh and Wickford.
1.30am: It looks like verifying is very nearly done here in Newbury. Counting should begin soon.
Around the country Labour have held Cramlington and Killingworth and South Shields.
12.55am: First fun fact of the evening/morning: There are usually 180 counters for the Newbury constituency but today – in a smaller venue – there are just 104 to count both Newbury and Reading West and Mid Berkshire.
Helen Belcher, the Lib Dem candidate for Reading West and Mid Berkshire, has arrived at the count.
12.40pm: It’s tea break time for the Newbury constituency counters. Reading West and Mid Berkshire are still verifying the ballot papers.
Another result elsewhere in the country too – Labour holds Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West.
12.30pm: Nationally Labour have just won two more seats, in Swindon South, which they have taken from the Conservatives.
12.05am: Someone just walked past the press bench and pointed out that in footballing terms it’s currently 3-0 to Labour nationally, with three constituencies already declared – Sunderland South, Sunderland Central and Blythe and Ashington.
11.55pm: Liz Bell (Labour), Doug Terry (Reform) and Earl Jesse (Freedom Alliance) are all here at the count too now.
11.45pm: All 145 ballot boxes have now been received at the count.
Ross Mackinnon, the Conservative candidate for the Reading West and Mid Berkshire seat is also here.
11.15pm: Ballot boxes still arriving from around the area
10.50pm: Around 23,000 postal votes from Newbury and Reading West Berkshire are being verified
10.20pm: Lee Dillon (Lib Dem, Newbury) is the first candidate to arrive for the count
10.15pm Verification begin for postal votes
10.10pm First ballot box arrives
9.45pm: We are here and waiting for the first ballot box to arrive.
9.50pm Acting Returning Officer – Nigel Lynn welcomes everyone to the count tonight
And message us on social media or email newsdesk@newburynews.co.uk with any comments or questions.
