Tories win seat as election ends

Sir Patrick called the delay into question in his victory speech

The general election is finally over after the Conservatives held Staffordshire South - seven weeks after the other seats had been decided.

In the poll, postponed from 5 May after the death of Lib Dem candidate Jo Harrison, Sir Patrick Cormack won with an increased majority of 8,847.

It was the first contest to be delayed in this way for more than 50 years.

The result takes the Conservatives' Commons total to 198 and reduces Labour's lead to 66.

The swing from 2001 was 9.1% from Labour to the Conservatives.

STAFFORDSHIRE SOUTH Sir Patrick Cormack (Conservative) 13,343 (52.05%, +1.56%) Paul Kalinauckas (Labour) 4,496 (17.54%, -16.63%) Jo Crotty (Lib Dem) 3,540 (13.81%, +2.21%) Malcolm Hurst (UKIP) 2,675 (10.43%, +6.69%) Garry Bushell (Eng Dem) 643 (2.51%) Kate Spohrer (Green) 437 (1.70%) Adrian Davies (Freedom Party) 434 (1.69%) Rev David Braid (Clause 28, Christian Democrat) 67 (0.26%) Majority 8,847 (34.51%) 9.10% swing Lab to Con Turnout 25,635 (37.28%, -23.04%) In depth: Election 2005

Turnout was 37.3%, compared with 60% at the 2001 general election.

UKIP candidate Malcolm Hurst gained more than 10% of the vote and hung on to his deposit.

Afterwards, Sir Patrick said he would be asking the Electoral Commission to look into the delay.

"The law may need a little re-examination," he said in his victory speech.

"One of the candidates got less than 100 votes tonight.

"If he had died yesterday we would have had to go through it all over again.

"That must be nonsense."

Commenting on the result, Liberal Democrat chief executive Lord Rennard said: "Liberal Democrats are pleased to have increased our share of the vote.

"Labour's vote has fallen considerably. Once again it is clear that disillusioned former Labour voters are turning to the Liberal Democrats and not to the Conservatives."