Labour make history by gaining Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket constituency from Conservatives
Dr Peter Prinsley with his campaign team following his victory in the Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket constituency poll. Photo: Cheryl Godber.
History was made in the early hours of this morning (Friday, July 5) when Labour gained control of the Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket constituency ending years of domination by the Conservatives.
Dr Peter Prinsley polled 16,745 votes over his Tory opponent Will Tanner who recorded 15,293 votes.
Scott Hussey, from Reform came in third with 8,595 followed by the Green Party’s Emma Buckmaster on 5,761; then Peter McDonald, Liberal Democrat, 3,154; Jeremy Lee, Independent, 819; Richard Baker-Howard, Rejoin EU, 350; and Darren Turner, Communist, 176.
The General Election produced a landslide victory for the rejuvenated Labour Party with Dr Prinsley saying that the polls showed that the voters had voted for change.
There has never been a Labour MP for the constituency in 149 years and the 66-year-old from Norwich, who has been an ear, nose and throat surgeon for about 40 years and currently serves at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and James Paget Hospital, said he felt “very privileged to be elected” as the constituency MP.
The turnout was 65.14 per cent, down from 69 per cent at the previous national poll in 2019.
Elsewhere the Tory party held onto West Suffolk, which formally had Matt Hancock as MP, with Nick Timothy securing 15,814 votes over his Labour opponent Rebecca Denness, who scored 12,567.
Conservative James Cartlidge also kept South Suffolk after securing 16,082 votes over his Labour opponent Emma Bishton who scored 13,035.
The Greens also made history after taking the new Waveney Valley constituency.
Adrian Ramsay, Green Party co-leader, won 20,467 votes, 5,593 more than the Conservative runner-up Richard Rout, who secured 14,874.
Suffolk Coastal also turned to Labour beating Conservative Cabinet member Thérèse Coffey, who has been in office since the 2010 election. Jenny Riddell-Carpenter will be the area’s new MP when Parliament reforms.
Labour wrestled control of Ipswich after five years being represented by the Conservatives.
Jack Abbott secured the win with 19,099 votes, beating out incumbent Tom Hunt, who scored 11,696 – a majority of more than 7,400.
Labour also gained Lowestoft from the Conservatives.
The results were Peter Aldous – Conservative (12,448), Jess Asato – Labour (14,464) Toby Hammond – Green (3,095), June Mummery – Reform UK (10,328) and Adam Robertson – Liberal Democrat (1,489).
Patrick Spencer, who was a senior adviser at the Department of Education, secured 15,144 votes, 4,290 more than the Labour runner-up, Kevin Craig, who secured 10,854.
Mr Craig was suspended from his Party last month after betting against himself to lose the election.