Victoria Collins vows to "fight for a fair deal" after being elected as the first MP for the newly created Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency
Liberal Democrat Victoria Collins has vowed to “to fight for a fair deal for our part of Hertfordshire”, after being elected as the first MP for the newly created Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency.
Victoria polled just over half of all the votes cast in the constituency, which was created as a result of boundary changes, on Thursday (July 4).
And her total of 27,282 votes was 10,708 more than the number of votes cast for the second-placed Conservative candidate Nigel Gardner, who polled 16,574.
Following the win, Victoria said she was “honoured to be elected” and “proud to represent the area”.
And she vowed to be residents’ “local champion fighting for your causes on a national stage”.
She said that during the campaign residents had told her about the struggles they face over health and social care, the cost of living and concerns for the environment.
And she said she is “determined to fight for a fair deal for our part of Hertfordshire”.
“My priorities are to fix our broken health and social care, help families and businesses with the cost-of-living crisis and end the sewage scandal,” she said.
“I know, however, you have many more concerns including a failure to support children with special educational and disability needs, unsolved crimes or the expansion of Luton.
“I will be your local champion fighting for your causes on a national stage.”
In the Harpenden and Berkhamsted election, on Thursday, Reform UK candidate Saba Poursaeedi polled 4,245 votes and and Labour’s Zara Layne polled 4,061.
Other candidates standing in the constituency were Paul De Hoest, for the Green Party – who received 1,951 votes – and Social Democratic Party candidate Mark Patten, who received 223 votes.
There were 72,242 residents registered to vote in the new Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency, where there was a turnout of 75 per cent.
Meanwhile in nearby Hemel Hempstead charity campaigner David Taylor has been elected as the town’s new Member of Parliament – winning the seat for Labour for the first time since 2005.
Taylor campaigned for a Hemel that would be the best possible place to live and work, to bring up a family in and to grow old in.