Its over ! Phew.

There is nothing like the sudden-death shoot-out of an election campaign to get politicians worked up. Well that is the popular myth. There is certainly nothing like an election campaign to get ordinary folk yawning. I don't altogether blame them. Elections are not much fun. They involve endless hours of sticking bits of paper through people's letterboxes and waiting on doorsteps to disturb folk who don't want to be disturbed. Some politicians wear rosettes and resemble prize bulls at the local farming show (no offence to the bulls intended) Some politicians kiss babies. This is politically incorrect and unhealthy too. I did not NOT kiss any babies this time.

For students of bald arithmetic here are the vital voting statistics:

Ian Liddell-Grainger, Conservative (21,240 votes - 44.1%)

Matthew Burchell, Labour (12,771 votes - 26.5%)

James Main, Liberal Democrat (10,940 - 22.7%)

Ray Weinstein, UKIP (1767 - 3.7%)

Charlie Graham, Green (1391 -2.9%)

The majority was 8469 on a healthy turnout of 63.9%

IF YOU VOTED FOR ME, THANKYOU VERY VERY MUCH.  I HAVE BEEN TOUCHED BY MANY KIND WORDS. I AM (OF COURSE) HUMBLED AND DELIGHTED TO BE RETURNED TO WESTMINSTER AND DETERMINED TO DO MY UTMOST TO REPRESENT ALL CONSTITUENTS.  THIS ELECTION WAS FOUGHT WITH HONESTY AND DECENCY BY ALL  CANDIDATES. IF YOU VOTED FOR SOMEONE ELSE BE ASSURED THAT I WILL DEFEND TO THE DEATH YOUR DEMOCRATIC RIGHT TO DO SO! 

At the last election (1st May 2001) the results were:

Ian Liddell-Grainger, Conservative (19,354 votes - 40.5%)

Ian Thorn, Liberal Democrat (14,367 votes - 30%)

William Monteith, Labour (12,803 votes - 26.8%)

Vicky Gardner, UK Independence Party (1,323 votes - 2.8%)

A somewhat slimmer 4,987 majority.
The turnout in 2001 was 64.6% (national average 59.1%)

In the 1997 general election,  Tom King (Conservative) won with 20,174 votes (36.9%)