LEE ANDERSON HOLDS ON AS REFORM UK WIN FIRST SEAT
Lee Anderson has held on to his seat in Ashfield and secured a first win for Reform UK.
Mr Ashfield was elected as a Conservative in 2019 but suspended earlier this year after refusing to apologise for claims Islamists had "control" of London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
He then defected to Reform UK, which is projected to win 13 seats across the UK.
Mr Anderson received 17,062 votes, with the Labour Party's Rhea Keehn finishing in second with 11,553 votes.
He said "this wonderful place that I call my home" will have a "massive say" in how the country is shaped, adding: "I want my country back and Ashfield can play their part in that."
Ashfield Independent candidate Jason Zadrozny finished third with 6,276 votes.
Elsewhere in Nottinghamshire, Labour has gained Rushcliffe from the Conservatives - the first time the party has won in the constituency for 54 years.
James Naish, leader of Bassettlaw District Council, won the seat from Ruth Edwards with 25,291 votes.
Ms Edwards, who received 17,865 votes (30.9%), won the seat in 2019 with a majority of more than 7,600, having taken over from long-standing Tory MP, Lord Ken Clarke.
Reform UK’s James Grice finished third with 6,353 votes (11%).
Labour gains Erewash
Over in Derbyshire, Labour's Adam Thompson has won the Erewash seat with 17,224 votes (40.1%).
Maggie Throup, a Conservative who had held the seat since 2015, received 11,365 votes.
2024-07-05T01:51:14Z dg43tfdfdgfd