South East Results Election 2017

Their share of the vote was down, reflecting the swing

Welcome to a special election edition of BBC South East Today.

Shock defeat as 100 years of history is overturned in Canterbury

with Labour taking the seat from the Conservatives.

It has been a disappointing result and a disappointing result overall.

I was hoping for a large Conservative majority.

We're live in Canterbury as the city wakes up to the shock result.

A nervous night for the Home Secretary,

And the Lib Dem return, Stephen Lloyd wins back Eastbourne.

I'm back doing what I love most, which is serving Eastbourne, so I

would like to thank all the people from the bottom of my heart. I won't

let them down. The political map of the South East

is a little less blue today after Labour made huge

and unexpected gains Jeremy Corbyn's party made history

in Canterbury where they took a seat the Conservatives have held

for 100 years. On the Sussex coast,

Labour made a big gain in Brighton Kemptown from the Tories

and the Hove MP Peter Kyle who was in a marginal seat now has

a massive majority - 18,000. Caroline Lucas the Green MP also

increased her share of the vote. In Eastbourne there was

a win for the Lib Dems - And it was touch and go for the Home

Secretary Amber Rudd in Hastings - There was relief in South Thanet for

the Conservative Craig Mackinley. In this special programme we're

going to have a round up of the results and analysis

of all the parties' fortunes but first our political editor

Helen Catt is in Brighton - Yes, quite, what a night, indeed.

Not the night we were expecting when this election was called. Not the

night we were expecting when many of us went to bed last night and I'm

sure it was not the one Theresa May had been hoping for. This morning

but we have is a south-east that looks quite different in many ways.

For the first time in a long time we have a sitting MP from four

different political parties. Here in Brighton and Hove, no trace of blue,

Labour and green across the city. That would make for a different

environment. We will talk to you again in a moment but we can cross

the Canterbury now. You watched the results come in, Lucinda, this was

the shock of the night. Yes, a huge shock here. The Labour candidate

herself very surprised why the win. Julian Brazier, the MP here for 30

years shocked and disappointed. This constituency has been represented by

a Conservative in Parliament since 1841, so this is a major upset. Just

hundred 87 vote in it, the count was incredibly close. In the strongest

Conservative strongholds, suddenly the vote was close. So close that

they counted, then recanted and then... APPLAUSE

Not since 1841 has anyone other than a Conservative represented this city

in Parliament. Thank you so much, Canterbury district. We have made

history. 160 years of the Conservative Party in this

constituency and we have just broken that record. Rosie Duffield's

campaign has been about local issues, the transfer of doctors away

from the Kent and Canterbury Hospital, housing and homelessness.

It in a constituency that voted to Remain in the EU it is the momentum

of young voters, some of whom he stayed on to vote passed the end of

the university year, the has made the difference. The biggest factor

was we had the largest concentration of students in the country here and

very strong feeling among them about the referendum issue and we were a

budge constituency in the referendum -- we were a Remain constituency in

the referendum. A huge number of constituents have registered since

then. Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry wasn't Canterbury last

week. No Conservative ministers had visited. With just 187 votes giving

Labour one of the biggest wins in the country, they may regret

complacency and Canterbury. People I have spoken to here this morning

have welcomed the news change and they all agree that Labour's success

is down to the fact they have engaged youth voters. This is a

student city, heavily populated with young people. 8000 people have

recently registered to vote in recent months. There have been a

social medium chilly media campaign that has stirred up momentum. We saw

a group of students at 3am watching through the window as Labour won the

seat. I'm joined now in the studio

by Professor Richard Whitman This wasn't in the Conservative

script - this election was all about getting

a mandate for Brexit. This is still a solidly blue region

this morning, isn't it? This is a Tory heartland. This is where the

Tories look to pick up a significant number of seats and see it as their

base. There was an interesting mix, I mentioned Amber Rudd who only just

held on in the Hastings and Rye. But the Conservatives actually increased

their majority substantially in some other areas. What is interesting is

the Ukip vote has collapsed for Ukip but it has split, it has gone to the

Tories and Labour as well, so what you are seeing is on the one hand

the Tories increasing their majorities in some seats but loosely

as we have heard in other places we have had upsets. Does this show that

in some parts of the south-east people feel taken for granted by the

Conservatives, school funding has already come up as an issue in

Sussex, Southern commuters, older voters. Have things backfired

slightly for the party? I think they have. One of the problems the Tories

have got is in terms of fighting the campaign on the ground they have

shrinking membership so the nuts and bolts of politics and campaigning,

that is one of the areas where they have failed. It is where Labour is

very good. We will hear from you again before the end of the

programme. Now to Brighton and Hove where three

seats were contested. I am humbled that the people of

Brighton have given me their trust and I hope over the next few years I

will be able to repay that. The challenges facing the country,

everything from the extreme Brexit which I hope will be put into

question as a result of Theresa May failing to get that mandate right

through to giving more money to our schools. This was an election like

no other. The circumstances were different anything that have been

experienced before. The normal allegiances because of Brexit and

other issues were thrown up in the air. Let's go back to our political

editor who's in Brighton. Labour have enjoyed three huge victories

over night but there is nowhere near what they had under Tony Blair in

1997. No comment isn't. Not even close to what they held in 2005,

which is the last time Labour went on to form a government after a

general election. Across the number of seats they held on the south-east

them. As you mentioned, most people this morning in the south-east will

be waking up to a returned Conservative MP had an increased

majority. That's the context. That is not to take away from the scale

of these wins webby have one. Maybe not a broad-based win but certainly

depth -- scale of these wins where they have one. For example, a 10,000

majority in Brighton Kemptown taken from a Conservative minister, an

impressive achievement. Down in Hove, Peter Kyle increasing his

majority to 18,000. That is huge. The thought of majority we expect to

see in safe seats like Sevenoaks or Ashford. So now, he will claim

victory in Hove? Peter Kyle is a well-known critic of his leader,

Jeremy Corbyn, who has won this, Peter Kyle or Corbyn? Well, both

will claim it to some degree. Certainly in his acceptance speech

Peter Kyle was talking about how people voted locally for their local

MP but if you talk to Lloyd Russell-Moyle, the new MP for

Brighton Kemptown, his acceptance speech was much more focusing on the

socialist policies, the policies not personalities as he said to me when

I spoke to him after his win. I am delighted that we have managed to

sell a message of hope over fear, we have managed to sell a message of

policies over personality and we have managed to show to the public

that we have a party that is united and a leadership that has vision to

take our country forward. A lot of talk about unity on the south coast

this morning with Labour but we know that divisions in the party,

particularly in Brighton and Hove, run deep. They are not going away,

are they? No, they aren't and it will be really interesting to see

how the party here runs along after this because you have had emphatic

wins for both aspects of the party. In Hove Peter Kyle has been running

a campaign with old new Labour figures and has produced a emphatic

win for him whereas the momentum group for Jeremy Corbyn has produced

an emphatic win for Lloyd Russell-Moyle, so the two arms of

the party are going to have to learn to get along and work with Caroline

Lucas, the Green who is back with an increased majority so I think

politics in Brighton is going to be very interesting. What you are going

to be busy! It was a nervous night

for the Conservatives in Hastings - the Home Secretary Amber Rudd had

to wait for a recount before It was staggeringly close. Just a

few hundred votes in it. You have two remember that Amber Rudd is the

Home Secretary and she has been dealing with the government's

response to the recent terror attacks. Last night, she very nearly

came very close to losing her job as an MP.

Amber Rudd had so much to lose here and early on in last night's count,

there were signs that losing was a real possibility. I'm just hopeful

but not complacent. As it happened, it was too close to call. As the

difference is minimal I have agreed that we will conduct a full recount.

The tired fingers set to work once more with the result finally

declared an hour later. Labour Party, 25,000 322. -- 20 5322.

Labour's candidate record of the party's biggest ever voted that it

was not enough. Amber Rudd one 346 votes. This is a fantastic place to

live and work and I am going to continue, I hope, to build on the

great opportunities and the great regeneration that is taking place in

this area. Home Secretary left without wanting to give interviews.

The 4800 strong majority slashed to a few hundred. It is frustrating to

come that close but a far better result than we expected at the

beginning of the campaign. Why do you think Amber Rudd did not do so

well? Because she was Home Secretary, she was tied up,

therefore a lot of her personal canvassing was not done like the

year before. I thought Peter was going to beat her so I am

disappointed that she got in. She isn't very popular around here to be

honest so I don't suppose I was surprised. The Labour vote has

surged here. Yes, that surprised me. Ukip lost its deposit. As Amber Rudd

left, her Labour opponent said he would stand again, predicting

another general election before too long. Amber Rudd had been at the

forefront of Theresa May's General election campaign. She had even

deputised for the Prime Minister on the BBC's TV leaders debate. Some

had tipped her to become the next Conservative Party leader. But with

her majority so slim now. How likely is that?

Over in Thanet, where in 2015 the battle was being fought

between the Conservatives and Ukip, arriving at the count

Craig Mackinlay voiced Conservative concerns.

I would never have believed that things would be so tight after where

we were just four five weeks ago but that is nature of the game.

Well, I'm joined now by our reporter Amanda Akass.

Amanda, it turned out that Craig Mackinlay didn't need to worry

about his vote and the main challengers last year,

Well, yes, Craig Mackinley actually increases majority, more than 6000

votes, as the result of a complete collapse of the Ukip vote share

which is all the more remarkable given that last time how very close

Nigel Farage came to winning the seat here. In the end Craig

Mackinley defeated him by just under 3000 votes. Last week we saw Craig

Mackinley charged with electoral fraud offences in relation to some

of his spending in that 2015 campaign. He denies any wrongdoing

but was obviously concerned about the impact that would have on his

voters. It seems it has had absolutely no effect at all. The big

thanks to the voters of Thanet for continuing to put their trust in me.

I have done my best to serve for the last two years. And there was

another count in Margate overnight. Yes, Sir Roger Gale won in North

Thanet. His ninth election, the was voted in back in 1983. He increased

his majority as well to more than 11,000. Again, the Ukip vote

collapsed into third place after Labour. Sir Roger Gale said he

defended Theresa May's decision to call this election but said he is

concerned about the impact it will have on the Brexit negotiations.

The Prime Minister hoped for a more resounding majority than she is

likely to get and the worrying thing about this is it up and strengthen

our position going into Brexit, which was the object of the

exercise. Roger Gale defends Theresa May has a courageous moment and says

she is the right woman for the job -- a courageous woman.

The Lib Dems had a mixed night in the south east.

Their offer of a new referendum on the EU failed to sway enough

voters in Lewes which had voted to remain, but over in Eastbourne

which voted leave where the former Lib Dem MP Stephen Lloyd.

He was standing on a ticket of supporting Brexit. Stephen Lloyd,

Liberal Democrats, 26,924 he promised one day he would return and

fight the seat and today Stephen Lloyd fought and won. It's good to

be back. I love this town, the reaction I have had over the last

few weeks has been absolutely fantastic, so it's a privilege and a

delight to be back. Two years ago, Caroline Ansell one hit with a slim

majority but today she was the one accepting defeat losing out by more

than 1600 votes. One thing has not changed tonight and that is the

great love I have for my hometown and everyone in it. So although it's

goodbye and good night I hope that maybe my day will come again. But in

neighbouring Lewes it was a different story with Maria Corfield

holding onto her seat for the Conservatives. She is duly elected

as the member of Parliament for the Lewes constituency. We have had

challenging times with Brexit, the Southern Rail strike, so I'm

delighted to be re-elected. Brexit could prove challenging for Stephen

Lloyd in the coming months as he has pledged to go against party policy

and not campaign for a second EU referendum.

Stephen Lloyd the re-elected Lib Dem MP joins us now.

Welcome back to parliament - did you win this because you went

against your party's main policy - to hold a second referendum

Good morning, good to be back, good to be back with you and back in

Eastbourne. I believe I won because the people of this town know me well

and they know either Eastbourne above party politics. That is what I

did before and is what I will do again. Is a bit windy! I believe

people realise that they know my priorities, they are convinced of

that and that is what I was looking up all day yesterday as I was going

across Eastbourne listening and talking to people. A good night and

I'm thrilled to be back. Your neighbour in Lewes did not win,

Kelly Marie Blondel, that is a Remain voting area, so does that not

show that this was not an election to do with Brexit? No, I think

Brexit counts but I think those people recognise that it is settled.

I had always been straight with my town, I voted Remain but I also gave

my word that I would respect the result of the referendum and the

people of Eastbourne know I keep my word. I told Tim Farron that many

months ago and to give him his due he came straight back to me within

30 minutes saying I know you and I know that if you gave your word

leaked to Eastbourne you will keep it and I respect that so I think

Brexit was important but this campaign was much bigger than that.

A shocking night for the Tories across the country and to be fair, a

heck of an endorsement for Jeremy Corbyn. Politics is a funny old

business. It is. Once again, welcome back Stephen Lloyd.

Whether it was a prize winners, steady holds, snaffling it by the

narrow margins, this morning in the south-east you are waking up to a

change little landscape. Here's a round-up of the night's action. This

corner of England, Tory heartland. Just a little less blue this

morning. APPLAUSE In Canterbury, the story of the

night. In numbers hundreds 87 votes ending more than a hundred years of

Conservatives in the seat. And three decades in the job for Julian

Brazier. Thank you so much to everyone who has come out and voted.

We have made history, made a change at last. And Brighton, that rainbow

city, showing a bit more colour this morning. In the small hours in

Brighton Kemptown, Labour's Lloyd Russell-Moyle. Labour Party,

36,000... The Green cars macro Brighton Pavilion. A cluster of

colour. In Eastbourne for the Liberal Democrats is all forgiven?

Two years ago they booted him out but now the change their mind.

Recounts then relief for Amber Rudd. She holds Hastings and Rye but by

the narrowest of margins. Tonight was also a story of loyalty. In

Thanet a week ago he was charged with election fraud. This morning,

he doubled his majority. Despite the best efforts of various

organisations to break my legs for this election just a few days ago,

we did it here in South Thanet. Loyalty to the Conservatives in the

Medway towns and in Crawley. It is a great and I have had over the last

seven years and I'm a convert to getting back to work in Westminster

on behalf of this fantastic town. A bad night for the Tories nationally

but they still hold swathes of the South East. But maybe their grip has

loosened just a little. Let's get some more analysis from

Richard Whitman. Richard, does this put Brexit in doubt at all? This

wasn't really a Brexit election do you think Rose and offer us in the

south-east, clearly it was a part of the country that voted heavily for

leaving the European Union but it does not seem to have had much of an

impact in the way that people turned out to those. Can we conclude people

don't want a hard Brexit even though they voted to leave's can we

conclude anything this morning? There will be a great postmortem

because the result is a shock but the Conservative Party is going to

be looking at the campaign and saying it ran the wrong campaign.

For the Tories the election was about Brexit. One word about Ukip.

Is that the end of them now? Nigel Farage has been on the airwaves this

morning talking about a comeback. What do you think? Bus in the

south-east Ukip has been the big story over the last decade or so and

it now looks as if Ukip is in retreat. Interestingly you are

seeing voters switching from Ukip to Labour. That must give Labour some

heart that those voters are not lost. Thank you very much. I may

have had a long night, thank you for joining us in the studio. Let's go

back to our physical editor in Brighton for us this morning. Have

two big wins -- our political editor. Two big wins for Labour. Do

you think it would have made a difference it Jeremy Corbyn had come

to the south-east during the election campaign, he could have

done even better possibly? It's difficult to say but certainly there

did not seem to be any kind of strategy to target areas of Kent in

particular in the south-east where Labour has done well before. Emily

Thornberry was the only big visitor. She came to Canterbury, look what

happened there, so perhaps an argument for it. It is worth

pointing out that Labour did not make inroads in places they have

before like Medway towns like Dover, not much change there, so maybe this

Labour is appealing to different voters, not the ones they used to.

And you can get all the election results, news and analysis

by following us on Twitter using #SEVote, on our Facebook page

Before we go we are going to leave you with highlights of the night.

There are flashing images in our last look at some of the result from

the south-east on election night. APPLAUSE

Cheering and # I want something just like this

# I want something just like this. negotiations, I think duty calls and

she will stay. Viewers are joining us from around the