The Conservatives held on to Central Suffolk & North Ipswich despite a bruising night for the party in both Suffolk and the country as a whole.

New MP Patrick Spencer secured 15,144 votes compared to the next closest, Kevin Craig, who closed the night with 10,854.

Mr Craig had been named as the Labour candidate, before backing from the party was withdrawn in the last two weeks after it emerged Mr Craig had placed a bet for himself to lose.

The constituency was also rocked just a week before the local elections in May by the decision of Dr Dan Poulter to defect from the Conservatives to Labour. Dr Poulter did not stand for election this time around.

Despite the recent upheaval, the Tories’ healthy 23,391 majority secured in 2019 was slashed to just 4,290 this time around.

Suffolk local Mr Spencer has been a senior fellow of the Centre for Social Justice and has been a special advisor to a number of Conservative education secretaries.

In his victory speech, the new Conservative MP said: “This campaign was always going to be about local issues and what is right for the families and communities of the people here in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich.”

Mr Spencer defended the Government’s record over the last 14 years, but went on to stress that “for too long people have felt they have not had proper representation in Parliament.”

He added that the trust and faith voters had put in him was “the honour of a lifetime” and represented “a new beginning for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich”.

Mr Craig was not present for the count on Thursday night, held at Debenham Sports & Leisure Centre.

Building on a good night for Reform UK, the party’s candidate Tony Gould, a former Conservative on Ipswich Borough Council, notched up the third highest votes in the constituency with 8,806, beating the Greens’ Daniel Pratt (5,652) and Brett Mickelburgh for the Liberal Democrats. Independents Charlie Caiger and Mike Hallatt secured 366 and 194 votes respectively.

Results: Charlie Caiger (Independent) – 366 Kevin Craig (Labour) – 10,854 Tony Gould (Reform UK) – 8,806 Mike Hallatt (Independent) – 194 Brett Mickelburgh (Liberal Democrats) – 5,407 Daniel Pratt (Green) – 5,652 Patrick Spencer (Conservative) – 15,144 Turnout: 63.5% Majority: 4,290 ENDS