IN one of the safest of Labour seats, MP for Easington Grahame Morris has been re-elected with 2,000 more votes than two years ago,

Mr Morris, who won with a majority 14,892, securing 23,152 votes, praised Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership for energising young people and increasing turnout. 

He said: "Personally I'm exhausted but delighted. I think it's a vindication of the policies of Jeremy Corbyn. He has been so bold with what has been put forward in the manifesto.

"I'm delighted young people in the party have been energised and have turned out to vote in large numbers.”

Mr Morris, who has been MP for Easington since 2010, added: “I want to thank Jeremy Corbyn for giving us a manifesto we could be proud of. We have engaged with young people on a level I haven’t see in my political life, which is over four decades.”

A total of 36,21 votes were cast, with a turnout was 58.38 per cent.
In 2015, the turnout was 56.1 per cent, with 34,624 votes cast. 

The area has been held by the party since 1922, when the seat was occupied by the first Labour Prime Minster Ramsay MacDonald.

Second placed Barney Campbell, the Conservative candidate, secured 8,260 votes. 

The 33-year-old, a former soldier who served in Afghanistan, said: “I offer huge congratulations to Grahame Morris. We may disagree about our policies but I can never disagree with his loyalty to constituents. 

“It’s been a keen and enjoyable campaign and it’s been positive for all of us.”

Susan McDonnell, from Peterlee, who was representing the North East Party (NEP) was third with 2,355 votes but did not attend the declaration.

Fourth was Ukip’s Allyn Roberts, with 1,727 votes. 

In fifth place was Liberal Democrat Tom Hancock with 460 votes and sixth was Green candidate Martie Warin, with 410 votes.

Mr Hancock thanked young people for turning out to vote. He said: “It’s clear the younger generation has voted in record numbers, against a Tory strategy that takes it for granted that they won't vote."

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