Cheadle provided the most interesting and closely run seat of the night at the Stockport Town Hall count.
Conservative Mary Robinson has been re-elected to the seat with a relatively slim majority, making it even closer than the 2017 battle for this seat.
Robinson achieved 2,336 more votes than the closest challenger; Tom Morrison and the Liberal Democrats.
This seat was a seat that the Lib Dems had targeted at the start of the election as one that could swing their way. However, they didn’t quite do enough in order to regain this seat this time.
While a very healthy turnout of 75.25% and a 5.5+% increase in Lib Dem voters, Robinson was still able to cling onto the seat.
The announcement was delayed a number of times leading to speculation that it might require a recount, but this was not to be with the Lib Dems seeming confident that they had won when their number of votes was called.
The swing of some Labour votes to the Lib Dems could have been extremely useful for the latter but in the end the split in votes between both parties helped Robinson to another victory.
MM asked whether this tightly run race meant that they had to campaign harder this election.
“People have been great; our activists have been wonderful and also people we’ve talked to on the doorstep have been very understanding about the reasons for the election and the challenges that we’ve had.
Mary Robinson re-elected got Cheadle #mmelection19 pic.twitter.com/XEg5XLqtDs
— Lyell Tweed (@lyell_tweed) December 13, 2019
“We’ve only had a few short weeks in which to do it but we’ve packed an awful lot into that time and I think it shows not only in our local campaign but also the national campaign and we’ve been able to get the messages across that we needed to.”
The Lib Dems seemed to rush out after the result was announced and were clearly upset that they had not quite done enough to take this seat back.
Robinson, similar to William Wragg of Hazel Grove, where the result was declared only an hour or so before, will be heading to parliament for a third term as an MP, but this time with a strong majority and mandate.
She revealed to MM how enthusiastic she was to start again and what was in store for her and her Cheadle constituency.
“It’s very exciting, I’ve got my own plans to deliver and take forward in Cheadle those are around ensuring that we protect our greenbelt as well as getting the housing that we need and ensure that we get our fair share of police officers.”
There was no mention of Brexit from Mary Robinson, which is understandable as more than 57% of her constituency voted to remain in the EU.
In her victory speech she declared: “What we’ve witnessed tonight with results up and down the country is a decisive vote for hope over the politics of continuing deadlock and division, the people of this country have asserted their authority.”
She matched the general mood of most of Conservatives tonight at the ballot counts with enthusiasm for what is to come clear to see.
Finally, she told MM: “I’m really looking forward to the challenges and getting on with the job.”
The other candidates were not available at this time for a comment.
Cheadle
Mary Robinson – Conservative – 25,694
Tom Morrison – Liberal Democrat – 23,358
Zahid Chauhan – Labour – 6,851CON HOLD
— Lyell Tweed (@lyell_tweed) December 13, 2019
