Clifton-Brown looks a certainty (From Gazette Series)

Clifton-Brown looks a certainty

COTSWOLD Conservative candidate Geoffrey Clifton-Brown looked certain to hold on to his seat in Westminster as the votes were being counted.

Across the constituency reports came in that voters had been queuing to make their choice on who should be their next MP. It was estimated that 70 percent of the 70,000 voters turned out for the election.

The first ballot boxes arrived at Cotswold Leisure Centre, Cirencester, at 10.20pm, with the last boxes from the north of the constituency arriving shortly after 11.40pm. In all 140 boxes from 114 polling stations were counted by more than 60 tellers.

Five candidates contested the Cotswold seat: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown(Conservative), Philip Beckerlegge (Liberal Democrat), Mark Dempsey (Labour), Richard Buckley (UKIP) and Independent candidate James Derieg.

At the last General Election in 2001, Mr Clifton-Brown secured the seat with a majority of 11,983 (26.1 percent), securing 50.3 percent of the total vote. As the votes were being counted, in what is seen as one of the safest seats in the country, Mr Clifton-Brown was in confident mood.

"I think that we have had a very good campaign," he said.

"I have campaigned in nearly all the villages and market towns across the constituency. I think the majority will be good. I have had an increase in the last three elections but I think it would be above expectation for it to rise at this election.

"I am confident of retaining the seat but I never take anything for granted which is why I was working hard across the constituency."

Mr Beckerlegge said: "We have had a very productive campaign and we have certainly generated a lot of interest. I think we will have held our percentage and hopefully increase it. It is very difficult to say at this stage of the count."

Mr Dempsey, who was standing at his first election, said: "It has been a brilliant campaign and it extremely busy. We have visited a lot of villages and towns throughout the constituency. It is one of the most vigorous campaigns that Labour has fought in the Cotswolds.

"We have already had a good result as we have had a lot of support. I don't know what the result is going to be and I don't like to make predictions at this stage of the count."

The final result was expected to be announced at 2am.