THE LABOUR Party were left celebrating after ousting the Conservatives in the Stroud parliamentary constituency overnight.

Dr Simon Opher (Labour Party) has been announced as the next member of parliament for the Stroud constituency, beating rival candidate Siobhan Baillie by more than 10,000 votes.

The Dursley GP Dr Opher received 25,607 while Ms Baillie received 14,219.

The results are as follows - Simon Opher (Labour Party) 25,607, Siobhan Baillie (Conservative) 14, 219, Chris Lester (Reform UK) 6,329 and Pete Kennedy (Green Party) 5,729.

Meanwhile, George James (Liberal Democrats) received 2,913, Saskia Whitfield (Independent) 261 and Jason Hughes (VOLT UK) 163.

"I want to thank the people of Stroud"

In his election victory speech, new MP Dr Opher said: “I want to thank my fellow candidates.

“One of the things about this election is it’s been run in a really clean and pleasant way and I am really grateful to you all for that.

“Let’s keep it like that, let’s keep politics clean and pleasant for everyone."

Turnout in the Stroud constituency on Thursday was 71 per cent - with 55,452 people voting out of an electorate of 77,905.

This was a lower turnout in contrast to 2019's snap election where 78 per cent of the electorate voted.

"I’d particularly like to thank Siobhan Baillie"

On the dramatic night, Dr Opher managed to beat Ms Baillie's majority of 3,840 from 2019's snap election where she ousted former MP David Drew.

Five years ago, the results looked very different with Ms Baillie elected with 31,582 votes (47.9%), while Mr Drew received 27,742 votes (42.1%). 

Dr Opher added: "I’d particularly like to thank Siobhan Baillie for all her hard work over the last four and a half-years - it’s been really appreciated by everyone in Stroud.

“Most of all I want to thank the people of Stroud.

“I’ve been here for 30 years and I’m embedded in this community."

“Dad, I proved you wrong!"

“I’m so grateful to have been given this chance to represent you in parliament.

“With this Labour government I will do everything I can to deliver the change that you voted for.

“To rebuild our NHS and restore our environment, decarbonise our energy, protect the climate, support our schools and our young people and revive our high streets, bring back the buses and cut the cost of living and deliver affordable homes for all.

“We must be realistic about the scale of our challenges.

“But we are going to be really focused and start work on Monday to turn this country around.

“We need to end the self-serving dysfunction in Westminster and rebuild our country together.

“And that rebuilding does start right away now.”

“There’s one other person I’d really like to thank.

“In 2019 my father who is here was 86 and said I would probably never see another Labour government.

“Dad, I proved you wrong!

“Thank you very much everyone.”

All pictures by Simon Pizzey.