Hollobone vows to fight for funding as he romps home in Kettering

The Conservative Brexiter romped home by almost 17,000 votes ahead of Labour's Clare Pavitt who finished second to be re-elected at about 1.25am.

He has held the seat since 2005 and in recent months raised the need for more cash for our hospital in parliament. An urgent care hub is set to be built at the site by 2022.

He said: "The battle for extra funding will never cease."

He put it partly down to the Conservatives' pledge to "get Brexit done".

He said: "I did not expect the result to be what it was but I am delighted with it."

Mr Hollobone, 55, praised his army of volunteers for their time campaigning and said he was looking forward to another five years in Parliament.

He said: "It's a real honour to have served the people of the borough of Kettering for the past 14 years and I am delighted to have been given the chance to serve them again with an increased majority."

Clare Pavitt said she had had an encouraging reaction on the doorstep as she campaigned to re-introduce pride to the borough.

But she said it was clear the party needed to look at what had gone wrong.

She said: "If it is as the exit poll suggests the party needs to seriously take stock of where we are and look at the leadership...we need to ask ourselves some serious questions."

She promised to be hot on Mr Hollobone's heels and said she would stand again at the next election to "stand up for Kettering".

Liberal Democrat Chris Nelson doubled the party's 2017 vote tally to come third.

Independent Jim Hakewill said he "thoroughly enjoyed himself" but didn't manage to get his deposit back as he finished fourth. Green Party candidate Jamie Wildman came fifth.