RORY RETURNED WITH HIGHEST-EVER MAJORITY IN PENRITH AND THE BORDER

Last night, Rory Stewart won the highest ever majority in Penrith and the Border since the seat was first created in 1950. He nearly doubled his 2010 majority from 11,241 to 19,894. This represents – at an increase of 8,653 votes – one of the largest increases of a majority in England in this election.

He won a total of 26,202 votes from a turnout of 44,057, representing 60 per cent of the total vote in an election which saw in the constituency a turnout of just below 70 per cent.

In his acceptance speech, Rory said that he represented the most beautiful constituency in the United Kingdom. He said it was “an immense privilege to serve a Cumbrian electorate”, that he was “deeply honoured by the increase in his vote and determined to work even harder for cumbria over the next five years”.

Speaking at the count in Penrith – which was declared at 5:30am on the morning of Friday May 8th – Rory paid tribute to his opponents and said:

“This has been a fine campaign. People complain a lot about politicians, but my fellow candidates have been honest and straightforward and, from the moment we first met at Alston’s hustings, I have learnt a great deal from them. I want to say what an immense privilege it has been for me to have had the extraordinary honour of representing Penrith and The Border; this is the most beautiful constituency in England and over the past days I have travelled through almost every village, seeing Penrith and The Border at its very best. I pay tribute to all the communities who make up this wonderful county.”