Bercow is re-elected in Buckingham (From Bucks Free Press)

Bercow is re-elected in Buckingham

12:08pm Friday 7th May 2010 in News By Lawrence Dunhill

THE BUCKINGHAM seat has been won by the incumbent MP and Speaker of the House of Commons Speaker John Bercow.

He retains a big majority with 22,860 of the votes - though this is down by 4,888 on the 2005 General Election result.

UKIP candidate Nigel Farage, who is still in hospital after he was involved in an aeroplane crash yesterday, finished in third place with 8,401 votes.

Some commentators had thought Mr Farage would come close to toppling Mr Bercow, but these predictions did not translate into votes.

The Independent candidate John Stevens was delighted to finish in second place, with 10,331 votes. See the full results below.

The turnout was 65.9 per cent, while there was 982 unmarked or void ballot papers.

There was a pack of photographers and journalists from national newspapers and broadcasters at the ballot count, which was held at The Civic Centre in Aylesbury today.

After his victory Mr Bercow praised his UKIP opponent Nigel Farage for fighting an “honourable campaign”, saying : “He suffered a horrifying accident and I wish him and the pilot who was with him a full and speedy recovery.”

When asked on his thoughts on who should form a coalition Government he said: “I'm simply not going to get into any of that...those are not matters for the Speaker of the house.”

Nine candidates lined up to fight Mr Bercow, but none from the three major parties.

This is because of the convention that they do not stand against the Speaker – who is seen as Independent.

Mr Bercow, who was a Conservative MP until 2009, said this tradition had angered many voters and vowed to take the public's feelings on the issue back to Westminster.

He said it had been a good campaign “on the whole” but added “there is an element of cheap abuse which sometimes creeps in”.

He had previously accused Independent candidate John Stevens of conducting “the nastiest, filthiest, most vitriolic campaign...in the history of this constituency.”

But Mr Stevens defended his 'strongly personal' campaign leaflets saying: “It was a rough and tough campaign.

If you're going to be rude about someone's expenses then you've got to just come out and do it.”

Mr Stevens said all his leaflets had drawn facts from national newspapers.

He had also arranged for a 'flipping' dolphin to follow Mr Bercow on parts of his campaign trail - a reference to his expenses claims for a second home.

Despite the third place finish for Mr Farage, his agent Dave Fowler said it was a “very good result” for UKIP.

The vote represented an increase of 6,969 on the party's vote in 2005.

The Princes Risborough area moved into the Buckingham constituency from Aylesbury at this election.

List of results: Speaker: John Bercow - 22,860, UK Independence Party: Nigel Farage - 8,401, Independent: Patrick Phillips - 2,394, Independent - Buckinghamshire Campaign for Democracy Party: John Stevens - 10,331, BNP: Lynne Mozar - 980, Independent: Geoff Howard - 435, Independent: Anthony Watts - 332, Independent: Debbie Martin - 1,270, The Christian Party: David Hews - 369, Monster Raving Loony Party: Colin Dale - 856, Cut the Deficit Party: Simon Strutt - 107.

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