The Wrekin election result: Conservatives retain seat but Labour run them close
Conservative MP Mark Pritchard has retained The Wrekin by fewer than a thousand votes.
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Mr Pritchard had secured a majority of 18,726 in 2019 and has been the constituency MP for the Conservative party since 2005.
However, the race between him and Labour candidate Roh Yakobi proved close on the night.
Mr Yakobi, an Afghan former refugee, was born in a village in the central highland of Hazarajat in 1987.
He was forced to flee his home village after a day of captivity and torture by the Taliban when he was aged just 12, and has since said “he owes everything to the UK” since his arrival in 2004.
The Labour candidate managed to secure 15,437 votes to Mr Pritchard's 16,320 on Thursday.
The seat has constantly flipped between the Conservative and Labour over the last 100 years, with Tory Mark Pritchard holding the constituency since taking over from Labour in 2005.
Six candidates stood in this year's election.
Speaking of his second place, Mr Yakobi said he was “extremely honoured” to have represented the Labour party at the election, adding: “We have a Labour government, which is something to be proud of, and my Wrekin family played its part in that.”
He added: “Britain is now in a better place and integrity is being brought back into our politics.”
The last time a Labour candidate won the seat was in 2001.
The turnout for the 2024 ballot was 63.57 per cent, down on 2019's 69.2 per cent.
Speaking of his victory, Mr Pritchard quoted Elton John by saying: “I'm still standing.”
After thanking his supporters, he said that he was “delighted” with his sixth victory in The Wrekin, adding: “Let me just say this is the sweetest one of all.
“It was a tough campaign but we will have to see nationally, but if Keir Starmer is the Prime Minister, I will support him when he puts the national security of our country first. When he doesn't, I won't.”
He also slammed hecklers in the audience by saying: “I have won, you have lost.”
The full results are:
Richard Leppington - Reform UK: 9,920
Anthony Lowe - Liberal Democrats: 4,757
Pat McCarthy - Green Party: 3,028
Mark Pritchard - Conservative: 16,320
Christopher Shipley - Independent: 558
Roh Yakobi - Labour: 15,437
The turnout was 63.57 per cent.
