Now I can start my Christmas shopping says Labour’s Sarah Jones

BY TARA O’CONNOR
Local Democracy Reporter
toby@slpmedia.co.uk

In the marginal seat of Croydon Central, Labour’s Sarah Jones managed to increase her majority against a backdrop of dwindling returns for the party nationally.

Ms Jones said she was “devastated” with the national picture but “absolutely delighted” that the party managed to hold the constituency.

She won with 27,124 votes, with the Conservative candidate getting 21,175 votes.

She said: “I feel absolutely delighted that we have won here in Croydon Central and with an increased majority.

“But equally it is a devastating night for the Labour Party nationally. There are too many people that need a Labour Government.

“We’ve been talking to about 4,000 people a week and it was clear that we had a strong chance of success. The exit poll was devastating to see the huge numbers of projected losses.”

Sarah said she would now be able to make a start on her Christmas shopping.

Her Conservative opponent Mario Creatura is also a councillor on Croydon council.

He said: “It has been a fantastic campaign, we have 47,000 doors in Croydon Central and we have knocked on thousands of them.

“The election is a battle of sorts and sometimes you win them, sometimes you lose them.”

He will be back to his council duties on Monday for back-to-back cabinet and full council meetings.
Croydon council leader Tony Newman was at the count with fellow councillors.

He said: “In the national context it is a stunning result for Labour in Croydon, and first and
foremost for Sarah. She has made a real impact.

“As a leader of a council I am devastated by the huge losses elsewhere in the country.”

• The full results are:Sarah Jones, Labour: 27,124
  Mario Creatura, Conservative: 21,175
  Simon Sprague, Liberal Democrats: 3,532
  Esther Sutton, The Green Party: 1,215
  Peter Sonnex, Brexit Party: 999

Mitcham and Morden has voted to re-elect Labour’s Siobhain McDonagh in the 2019 general election. She has represented the seat, which was created in 1974, since 1997

It covers the Merton council wards of Colliers Wood, Figge’s Marsh, Graveney, Lavender, Longthornton, Lower Morden, Cricket Green, Pollards Hill, Ravensbury, and St Helier.

Ms McDonagh lives in Colliers Wood and has lived in the constituency all her life.

She became a councillor in Merton aged 22 in 1982, and was first elected to represent Mitcham and Morden in 1997.

Recently she has campaigned for more police on the streets, particularly in Mitcham, and to keep St Helier Hospital open.

• The full results were:Siobhain McDonagh, Labour: 27,978
  Toby Williams, Conservative: 11,482
  Luke Taylor, Liberal Democrat: 3,717
  Jeremy Maddocks, The Brexit Party: 1,202
  Pippa Maslin, Green Party: 1,160
  Des Coke, Christian People’s Alliance: 216

There was a total of 45,845 votes with 104 spoilt ballot papers.