GENERAL ELECTION 2017: Toby Perkins retains Chesterfield seat

Mr Perkins polled 26,226 - cutting his majority to 9,565 from 13,598.

He was first elected as Chesterfield MP in 2010.

Mr Perkins said: “I think this election was one that no one was expecting and it was called in order for the prime minister to give us a strong and stable government.

“She thought this was going to be an election all about Brexit but the British people decided that it was going to be an election about more than that.

“They wondered if it was a strong and stable government that would see a million people fed at food banks, they wondered if it was a strong and stable government that would see public sector workers come off worse every single year than the year before.

“And they wondered if it was a strong and stable government that would see two-third of our NHS troops in deficit and they said this election was about a lot more than that, and I thank them for the detail in which they have looked into our proposals and for the results we have had here in Chesterfield.”

Conservative candidate Spencer Pitfield came second with 16,661.

Tom Snowdon of the Liberal Democrats received 2,612 votes and UKIP candidate Stuart Bent got 1,611.

Green Party candidate David Wadsworth received 777 votes.

The overnight count took place at Queen’s Park Sports Centre in Chesterfield with the result announced just after 3am.

Overall turnout was 66.62 per cent.

On the Conservative campaign in Chesterfield, Mr Spitfield, said: “We’ve had a good reaction. We’ve worked hard for the last four-and-a-half weeks.

“I have met lots of people who, for different reasons, support the Conservatives and I have met lots of people who would loyally stay with Labour.

“I have not met many Ukip supporters.

“Whilst it is important to have parties like the Green Party and the smaller parties, I think very much the squeeze will be on between the two big parties.

“Here locally in Chesterfield we have fought very hard. We are a small dedicated team.

“I think nationally we are in very difficult territory because if we are in a hung parliament then I can see us being back here in the next six months having another election.”