Brighton and Hove stays red and green after general election

As the city remained red and green, the electoral system was described as “broken” and the new government as a “danger” in victory speeches.

Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas substantially increased her majority from 14,699 to 19,940.

She won a fourth term, with 33,151, ahead of Labour’s Adam Imanpour in second place.

She said: “Brighton Pavilion continues to believe in compassion and justice and a bigger future.

“The pride that I feel is also tinged with huge sadness and frankly deep anger.

“Sadness that so many people who desperately need a progressive government on their side won’t get the social justice that they need.

“The living wage, the good public services and the security they need to build the future.”

She criticised the first past the post system for denying people the representation they would want to have.

Asked what was behind the success of her campaign, she said: “I think it is when Greens are elected we work really hard and we deliver.

“I don’t think it can just happen in Brighton.

“I wish we had a fairer voting system which would mean the people across the country who have told me they want to vote Green, could, if only we had a voting system that would make them voting Green without the fear of letting in parties they don’t want to see there.

“My great hope is one of the things that could come out from tonight is a much greater focus on changing this rotten electoral system so that pent up desire for Green policies and climate action can be felt right across the country.”

More people voted in Brighton Pavilion compared with 2017 but the percentage turnout was lower.

A total of 73.56 per cent of the electorate turned out with 58,157 verified papers compared with 76.4 per cent and 57,687 in 2017.

Labour’s Lloyd Russell-Moyle won his second term in Brighton Kemptown, with Conservative Joe Miller making a dent in his majority, taking it from 9,868 to 8,061.

Mr Russell-Moyle said that he disagreed politically with his fellow candidates but believed that they were honourable and wanted to change Brighton Kemptown for the better.

He then said: “It is a very dark day for our country. I believe very dark forces have taken over. I think the current party that is looking to take over this country is extremely dangerous.

“We will resist their danger at every stage because the Conservative Party have an aim to break up our country. They aim to destroy our NHS and we will say no.

“We will fight them in the Parliament. We will fight them in the courts. We will fight them in the work places and we will fight them in the streets.

“They will not destroy our country. Thank you Kemptown.”

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I think the people of Brighton Kemptown know the dangers of what the Conservative Party will ensue and the people of Brighton Kemptown are determined to ensure that we have the very best representation and I am very pleased to fulfil that for them.

“I am delighted the have returned me. But I am of course upset slightly that we have not managed to get that across the country.”

Labour’s Peter Kyle won his third term in Hove, with Conservative Robert Nemeth making a dent in his majority, taking it from 18,757 to 15,832.

Mr Kyle said: “This has not been a good night for the Labour Party.

“Members of the public and residents have told us they want the Labour Party to listen and they want the Labour party to change.

“I am here to say that I’ve been listening and I will be fighting for the change I know that people need.”

Asked what was behind the success of his campaign, he said: “I have always worked my socks off. I have always listened to the priorities the community have told me.

“They’ve always become my priorities.”