Conservative gains in Lancashire

Geraldine Smith held Morecambe and Lunesdale for 13 years

The Conservatives made significant gains over Labour in Lancashire.

They took the seats of Morecambe and Lunesdale, Blackpool North and Cleveleys, South Ribble, Pendle and Rossendale and Darwen.

The Liberal Democrats gained Burnley, formerly the seat of Labour's Kitty Ussher, who resigned in the expenses' fallout.

Labour held Blackpool South, Lancashire West, Hyndburn, Chorley, Preston, and Jack Straw's seat of Blackburn.

The Morecambe and Lunesdale result saw Tory David Morris replace Geraldine Smith, who had held the seat for the past 13 years.

Mr Morris received 18, 035 votes compared to Ms Smith's 17,169.

The Tories also retained the seats of Wyre and Preston North, Ribble Valley and Fylde.

'Test of character'

Rossendale and Darwen saw an 8.9% swing to the Conservatives, with Jake Berry overturning a Labour majority of 3,616 to win by 4,493 votes.

Lorraine Fullbrook won in South Ribble by 5,554 votes, overturning a Labour majority of 2,528.

In Pendle, Conservative candidate Andrew Stephenson won by a majority of 3,585.

Conservative Paul Maynard is the new MP for Blackpool North and Cleveleys

Labour's Gordon Prentice had been MP for the constituency since 1992.

Paul Maynard, the new Conservative MP for Blackpool North and Cleveleys, said: "I think this has been as much a test of character as of policies."

Nigel Evans was returned to Ribble Valley, where the Tories secured a huge majority of 14,769, up nearly 7,000.

The Liberal Democrats' Gordon Birtwistle took Burnley, which has been a Labour stronghold for 70 years, by 1,818 votes.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw increased his majority in Blackburn to 9,856 from 8,012 in 2005.