General Election: The Results in Solihull

DELIGHT: Caroline Spelman and her team gather for the count at North
Solihull Sports Centre

CAROLINE Spelman was this morning returned as Conservative MP for Meriden, winning an emphatic victory over Labour.
The former cabinet minister captured more than 50 per cent of the vote in the constituency which encompasses North Solihull, increasing her majority to more than 18,000.
Labour’s Tom McNeil had fought a vigorous grassroots campaign but was unable to gain ground on his Tory opponent; the party’s share of the vote was actually down on 2010.
The Lib Dems were pushed into fourth place by a UKIP surge, barely winning one vote out of every 20 and coming close to losing their deposit
Taking the podium at North Solihull Sports Centre, Mrs Spelman said: “I am delighted and humbled by the faith that the people of Meriden have put in me to serve a fifth term.
“Thank you so much to the whole team who made all the difference to the result tonight.”
Speaking to Other Side of Solihull in the run-up to polling day, she vowed that a Tory government would work to “complete the economic recovery”.
In the neighbouring constituency of Solihull, the Lib Dems were dealt a crushing defeat, with Lorely Burt losing the seat that she sensationally snatched from the Conservatives ten years ago.
Defending a wafer-thin majority of just 175, a tearful Mrs Burt saw her share of the vote collapse and left the stage without a word. In the end, Tory candidate Julian Knight  had eased to victory in one of his party’s top target seats.
This morning’s result means that the borough’s two constituencies will be represented by the same party for the first time in a decade and speaking from the count, Mrs Spelman has already signalled that she will work to build stronger links between the different communities of Solihull.
But greater change could be on the way. With the Conservatives returned to government, controversial plans to redraw the electoral map are likely to resurface.
The proposals – which could see the existing Meriden constituency radically altered – were previously vetoed, but an overall majority would now give David Cameron the authority to press ahead with the changes.

Results:

Meriden:
Caroline Spelman (Con) - 28,791
Tom McNeil (Lab) - 9996
Mick Gee (UKIP) - 8908
Ade Adeyemo (Lib Dem) -2638
Alison Gavin (Green) - 2170
Chris Booth (An Independence From Europe) - 100
Turn out: 64.41 per cent

Solihull:
Julian Knight (Con) - 26,956
Lorely Burt (Lib Dem) - 14,054,
Howard Allen (Green) - 1632
Phil Henrick (UKIP) - 6361
Nigel Knowles (Lab) - 5693
Mike Nattrass (An Independence From Europe) 50
Matthew Ward (Democratic Party) 33
Turn out: 70.9 per cent