CONSERVATIVE Ian Liddell-Grainger is celebrating a massive jump in his majority after successfully retaining his Bridgwater and West Somerset seat in yesterday’s General Election.

He was returned with a majority of 24,439 – up by almost 9,000 on his 2017 majority of 15,448.

Mr Liddell-Grainger captured 62.1 per cent of the votes as he secured 35,827 votes.

Second was Labour’s Oliver Thornton with 11, 388 votes.

FULL RESULT

Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative) 35,827

Oliver Thornton (Labour) 11,388

Bill Revans (Liberal Democrat) 7,805

Mickie Ritchie (Green Party) 1,877

Fares Moussa (Liberal Party) 755

The eligible electorate was 85,327 and the turnout was 67.89%

In neighbouring Taunton Deane, Conservative Rebecca Pow’s majority was cut by just over 4,000 in a seat which had been targetted by the Liberal Democrats.

Her 34,164 votes gave her a majority of 11,700 over Liberal Democrat Gideon Amos, her opponent in the 2017 election when her majority was 15,887.

While Ms Pow’s vote was up by 831, Mr Amos’s was up by just over 5,000 while the Labour vote was down by a similar amount.

FULL RESULT

Rebecca Pow (Conservative) 34,164

Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat) 22,464

Liam Canham (Labour) 4,715

John Hunt (Independent) 2,390

The eligible electorate was 88,675 and the turnout was 71.9 per cent.