Boris Johnson has hailed the shock Tory victory (Image: AP)
Boris Johnson has said the Tories’ shock victory in his former Greater London seat is proof the Conservatives can win in London “and around the country”.
Steve Tuckwell clung on to the seat despite Labour needing a mere 7 point swing to take it.
Labour will now come under renewed pressure to force Sadiq Khan not to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone, after they lost despite ordering the London Mayor not to visit the constituency during the election campaign.
Mr Johnson added it was “fantastic news”.
“Well done Steve Tuckwell and the amazing Conservative council and association members.
READ MORE: Rishi Sunak avoids triple by-election wipe-out as Tories swipe unexpected win
Steve Tuckwell kept the seat with a slim majority (Image: Getty)
“This shows the Conservatives can win in London and around the country.”
Mr Johnson stood down from the seat ahead of a report from the ‘kangaroo court’ Privileges Committee, which was set to suspend him from the Commons for 90 days after allegedly lying to the House over parties in No. 10.
The Tories scraped to victory with a 495 majority, down from Mr Johnson’s 7,000 in 2019.
Labour put on 6 percent, but saw a swing of just 6.7, less than the 7.5 needed to take the seat.
Elections expert Professor Sir John Curtice said such a swing nationally wouldn’t give Labour a majority, and would likely result in a hung parliament.
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Mr Johnson previously won the seat with a majority of 7,000 (Image: Getty)
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Responding to the humiliating defeat, a Labour spokesperson said: “This was always going to be a difficult battle in a seat that has never had a Labour MP and we didn’t even win in 1997”.
They claimed that because the Tories ‘crashed the economy and hit working people hard’, voters are more concerned about the ULEZ expansion.
Speaking after his victory, the new Uxbridge MP Steve Tuckwell said the message is “clear”.
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“Sadiq Khan has lost Labour this election, and we know it was his damaging and costly ULEZ policy that lost them this election.
“I am humbled and proud to be be elected as the MP for the area in which I was born, raised and built a family in, and to represent my home is a huge honour.
“The pundits expected Labour to win big here, but our community came together and I am thankful to them and the hundreds of activists that came out to deliver this message.
“Keir Starmer and his mayor, Sadiq Khan, need to sit up and listen to the Uxbridge and South Ruislip residents.”
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