Former MP for Stroud David Drew has released a long statement, revealing his disappointment after the election result on Thursday night.

The MP, who had held the seat since 2017, also went on to thanks his campaigning teams and supporters on his official Facebook page.

"I share the disappointment of so many of you at the election result, and am sad to no longer be your MP.

"Firstly I would like to thank so many people for their incredible support, not only over the election campaign, but over the last two years: my small team, my family, Stroud Constituency Labour Party and the many ordinary people who have come out to join us over recent weeks.

"You have all been testament to the incredible vitality of Stroud constituency, one of the many reasons why I have been so honoured to be your representative for 15 years.

"With that honour comes responsibility, especially to make sure that the most vulnerable are given a voice.

"For people who are struggling or who find themselves let down by the systems designed to support them, their MP has a vital role as their champion when all else fails.

"In the last two years, as an opposition MP, that has meant holding the government to account for the policies that have caused hardship for so many people in Stroud.

"It now falls on your new Member of Parliament to not only act for those Stroud people in need, but also to defend those policies.

"Throughout my career I’ve believed in a politics which is connected to people and the places we live. I have always been at my happiest meeting you in so many different settings across the constituency.

"The failings of a remote Government in London, out of touch with ordinary people, has led to a Brexit which now jeopardises rural communities and manufacturing jobs.

"Despite the hopes of those who voted Conservative, Brexit will not ‘get done’. We face years of negotiations and our farmers, jobs, employment rights, and environmental and animal welfare standards will also bear the cost.

"Sadly, this result is a disaster for the efforts to tackle climate change. Action on the climate crisis is not a political prize, it’s about how people across the planet will survive cataclysmic change that now looks set to be deferred for another five years, despite science telling us that the clock is ticking.

"Our role now is to come together and look at how we can mitigate the damage which the overall result causes to ordinary people and our environment.

"We fought an honest, positive, inclusive campaign, and at the heart of that is something that will help see us through this - and form the basis to move on - which is what the people of Stroud constituency now deserve.

"It’s also easy to blame others, but that’s not good enough. We now need to look to ourselves and learn lessons.

"We must learn from our setbacks rather than be disheartened by them, and consider what it means for the people from all walks of life for whom we tried so hard to deliver a new and fairer country, and new and fairer world.

"It is time to come together, and lastly I’d like to wish you all a peaceful and happy Christmas season, sharing time with our loved ones, friend and neighbours."