Macclesfield loses Conservative MP for first time in its century-long history

Tim Roca is now the MP for Macclesfield. Credit: ITV Granada Reports

What was considered one of the safest Conservative seats in the country has elected a Labour MP for the first time in almost a century - in an huge 18.6% swing.

Macclesfield, in East Cheshire, has never had a Labour MP since it was established in 1885 - with the Tory's holding the constituency since 1918.

Tim Roca will now represent the constituency alongside more than 400 other Labour MPs across the country.

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"What a night for the Labour party, it is the privilege of my life to be elected member of parliament for Macclesfield," said Mr Roca in his winning speech.

He then thanked the returning officer and the staff at the count before paying tribute to David Rutley, the former MP for Macclesfield since 2010.

He said: "I want to pay tribute to his public service, not just to our constituency but to our county.

"I also want to say a big thank you to the volunteers and the activists of the Macclesfield Labour Party... you have made today's amazing result possible."

Mr Roca joins 19 other Labour MPs who have gained seats across the region, including from other Conservative safe seats such as Ribble Valley and Warrington South.

"It's clear from the results coming from across the country, that our long national nightmare is finally coming to an end," he continued.

"A nightmare that has seen the party of government, the Conservatives, take their own obsessions and interests and put them ahead of the country's national interests.

"We're going to turn a page on those 14 years of chaos, but here in Macclesfield we're turning the page on 100 years of one party representing us in parliament."

He ended his speech saying he "will work his socks off" to repay the trust of voters across the constituency and said the Labour party have "offered something that people could believe in".

Full results in Macclesfield:

  • Steve Broadhurst - Reform UK : 6,592

  • Neil Christian - Liberal Democrats : 2,482

  • Dickie Fletcher - Social Democratic Party : 222

  • Amanda Iremonger - Green Party : 2,493

  • Tim Roca - Labour : 24,672

  • David Rutley - Conservatives : 15,552

  • Christopher Wellavize - Independent : 779

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