Tories hold Bucks as Bercow re-elected (From Bucks Free Press)

Tories hold Bucks as Bercow re-elected

8:00pm Thursday 6th May 2010 in News By Oliver Evans

Watch a video from the Wycombe, Beaconsfield and Chesham & Amersham counts above.

CONSERVATIVES increased their share of the vote to comfortably hold onto Wycombe, Beaconsfield, Chesham & Amersham and Aylesbury.

Steve Baker was elected as MP for Wycombe to replace Tory Paul Goodman, who stepped down.

Dominic Grieve kept Beaconsfield with Cheryl Gillan and David Lidginton keeping Chesham & Amersham and Aylesbury respectively.

And John Bercow - a Conservative who stood as an independent after being elected as Commons speaker - has held onto Buckingham.

Turnout increased at all counts.

The Liberal Democrats overtook Labour to take second place in Wycombe – but there was no major change as the party again too second in Beaconsfield, Chesham & Amersham and Aylesbury.

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.

Mr Baker said: “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.”

Cheryl Gillan fended off the Liberal Democrats' best-ever showing to stay as MP for the Buckinghamshire constituency she has served since 1992 with 31,658 votes, a 60.4 per cent share. This was 54.4 per cent in 2005.

Click the links at the bottom of this story for our General Election website, including full results, and stories from each count.

Mrs Gillan said she was “very proud to be going back to Westminster on behalf of Chesham and Amersham” - but called for a “strong Government” to be formed after tonight's election.

Mr Lidington also retains the seat he won in 1992.

He took 52.2 per cent of the votes, up from 49.1 per cent at the last general election.

He received 27, 736 votes of the 53, 273 turnout with Liberal Democrat candidate Steven Lambert coming in second with 15, 118.

Mr Lidington said: “I am feeling elated at the moment. I am delighted and humbled by the vote of confidence.

“I think people were also voting for a change of government. I think they were voting for a government that would make a fresh start- that would try to rebuild the economy and stop going the way of Greece.”

Dominic Grieve kept Beaconsfield with 32,053, 61.06 per cent of the vote. Lib Dem John Edwards came second with 19.57 per cent of the vote, compared to the 20.4 per cent achieved by the party in the last election.

In Maidenhead Theresa May, Conservative, won with 31,937 votes. Second was Tony Hill, Liberal Democrat, with 15,168 ahead of Pat McDonald, Labour, with 3,795 and Kenneth Wight, UK Independence Party, with 1,243.

Then came Tim Rait, British National Party, with 825, Peter Forbes, Green, 482 and Peter Prior, Freedom and Responsibility, 270. The turnout was 53,720.

The Liberal Democrats today took a seat off the Tories at a Wycombe District Council by-election (see link, bottom of story).

The Buckingham count will take place on Friday morning and we will bring you the result as we get it.

Also announced during the Chesham and Amersham count was the result of a Chiltern District Council by-election for Amersham on the Hill.

The Conservatives retained the ward after a closely-fought battle, with Nigel Shepherd polls 1,125 votes for the Tories ahead of 1,073 for Lib Dem candidate Howard Maitland-Jones. Labour's Peter Harper took 203 votes.

The seat became available following the resignation of Cllr Ronnie Lamont earlier this year.

Click here for our picture gallery from tonight.

Read our live blog to see how events unfolded.

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