Tories increase grip on Wycombe as Lib Dems move into second (From Bucks Free Press)

Tories increase grip on Wycombe as Lib Dems move into second

4:16am Friday 7th May 2010 in News By Oliver Evans

NEW Conservative candidate Steve Baker held the seat for the party in Wycombe with an increased share of the vote – with the Liberal Democrats moving into second place.

Mr Baker, who replaced Paul Goodman, got 23,423 votes to take 48.6 per cent of the vote. This improved on Mr Goodman’s 45.8 per cent and 42.4 per cent shares in 2001 and 2005.

Lib Dem Steve Guy saw his party swap roles with Labour compared to previous polls as he came second with 13,863 votes, 28.8 per cent of the vote. Labour’s Andrew Lomas got 8,326 votes, 17.3 per cent.

In 2005 Labour got 29.9 per cent and the Lib Dems got 19.8 per cent. The latest result produces a 4.8 per cent swing from the Conservatives to the Lib Dems.

Mr Baker told The Bucks Free Press: “I am elated. It is a remarkable thing. I haven’t been a member of the Conservative Party for three years.

“I am absolutely honoured and privileged to have been Wycombe’s member of Parliament.

“My priority is to try to put the honour back into honourable member.”

Mr Baker pledged to put the plight of Wycombe Hospital first after it was stripped of major A&E trauma and doctor-led birthing services.

“My first priority is to be a good constituency MP,” he said.

Lib Dem Mr Guy told the winner ‘I will be a thorn in your side’ after the count.

He told the BFP: “I am chuffed to pieces because we have increase our share of the vote.”

He said: “I ain’t going anywhere, I shall be a thorn in his side.”

Mr Lomas and UK Independence Party’s John Wiseman, who got 2,123 votes, joined the two on stage as the results were announced at about 3.15am.

Mr Lomas said this afternoon the party's slip into third place 'reflects a range of local factors, we have not been doing well for a while'.

He said: "We are not going anywhere any time soon. We will fight on and we will be back with a bang."

Independent candidates David Fitton, who got 188 votes and Madassar Khokar, who got 228 votes, were not present for the announcement.

The turnout was 66.18 per cent, compared to 62.2 per cent in 2005. This means 48,795 out of a possible 73,431 people voted.