Labour scoop up target seats in Northamptonshire
Labour's domination of election night continued in Northamptonshire, with the party taking five of the county's seven constituency seats.
The seats were all Labour targets, including the hard-fought seat of Kettering.
This was a seat that previously had a Tory majority of 17,363, and now has a Labour one of 3,820 - a swing of 20%.
The Conservatives retained the two blue seats held by Dame Andrea Leadsom and Chris Heaton-Harris, both of whom decided not to stand again.
In the first Northamptonshire declaration of the night, Labour took the seat of Northampton South from the Conservatives.
Mike Reader collected 16,890 votes.
The sitting Conservative MP, Andrew Lewer scored 12,819 and the Reform UK party came third with 8,210.
Mr Lewer said the split of the vote between Conservative and Reform UK would have to be part of the discussions for the future of the centre-right in British politics.
The former Immigration Minister Tom Pursglove lost his Conservative seat to former union leader Lee Barron, who collected 21,020 votes for Labour to win in Corby and East Northamptonshire.
The other town seat, Northampton North, went red as Lucy Rigby achieved a 9,000 majority for Labour.
The previous Conservative MP there, Michael Ellis, decided not to defend his 5,507 majority.
Conservative candidate Dan Bennet came second with 9,195 votes.
Gen Kitchen held on to Wellingborough and Rushden, the seat she won for Labour in a by-election earlier this year after the sitting Conservative MP, Peter Bone, was removed by a public vote.
She collected 17,754 votes in the general election, holding on to the seat ahead of the Conservative's David Goss on 12,248.
Reform UK came third and the Green Party were fourth.
Philip Hollobone said farewell to the Kettering seat he first won in 2005, with Rosie Wrighting executing another Labour gain.
She collected 18,009 votes with Mr Hollobone receiving 14,189.
He had a 16,765 majority in 2019.
Conservative Sarah Bool will take up the reins in South Northamptonshire - with Stuart Andrew becoming the new MP for Daventry.
Both areas will get new MPs after Dame Andrea Leadsom and former Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris decided not to stand this time.
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