Tories win Southport as Lib Dems are pushed into third place by Labour

Tories win Southport as Lib Dems are pushed into third place by Labour.

Veteran Southport journalist Martin Hovden writes: Damien Moore, aged just 37, was elected the new Conservative MP for Southport in the early hours of this morning.

DAMIEN MORE (Con) 18,541

LIZ SAVAGE (Lab) 15,627

SUE MCGUIRE (Lib Dem) 12,661

TERRY DURRANCE (UKIP) 1,127

He won 18,541 votes, with Labour’s Liz Savage netting an amazing 15,627 votes – pushing Liberal Democrat Sue McGuire into an embarrassing third place with just 12,661 – which is 1,000 less than what former MP John Pugh achieved in 2015.

The seat has been held by the Lib Dems for 20 years. Just seven years ago the Lib Dems won more than 21,000 votes.

The collapse of Lib Dem support in the town puts their chances of future local council election success in real doubt, especially with Labour now on the march.

Turnout was 69.2%, up 3.3% from 2015. Observers report a dramatic increase in the number of young people casting their vote yesterday, most likely to support Labour. Liz Savage doubled the number of votes she won for Labour in 2015.

Support for UKIP’s Terry Durrance plunged to just 1,127 votes (he gained 7,429 votes in 2015), with most of his votes likely to have gone to the Tories and Labour.

The result was announced at 2.30am in Dunes Leisure Centre, but senior Lib Dems were conceding defeat privately at midnight, just two hours after polls closed.

Victor Damien More said he wanted to be “Southport’s voice in parliament” and will now begin to house-hunt in the town.