General Election 2015: Gavin Shuker holds Luton South seat

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LUTON South MP Gavin Shuker has joined his fellow Labour candidate Kelvin Hopkins in holding his seat after winning in this year’s general election.

Mr Shuker received 18,660 votes, beating Katie Redmond from the Conservatives who only managed to get 12,949 votes.

In his winner’s speech, Mr Shuker said the national result meant it had been a ‘difficult and very sad day’ for the Labour party.

He added: “Obviously I am delighted to be re-elected as the MP for Luton South, to do it on an increased majority and a swing towards Labour on a night when the rest of the country have gone backwards.

“I think that people here in Luton understand what a dangerous right-wing government will do to them and that Labour is the only choice to prevent them from doing it.

“Now sadly we have elected that government and so I am going to have to make the case from the opposition benches as to why their pain will be disproportionately felt here in Luton South.”

Speaking about former Labour leader, Ed Miliband, who announced his resignation earlier today, Mr Shuker added: “I wish Miliband had stayed on. He’s a decent man but politics is human as well as political and he needs some time to spend it with his family. No-one’s talking about a leadership contest right now, all of us are just trying to get our heads around the scale of the defeat that we’ve had.”

Yasin Rehman of UKIP was third with 5,129 votes, followed by Ashuk Ahmed from the Liberal Democrats with 3,183.

The remaining votes were split between Simon Hall from the Greens on 1,237; Independent candidate Attiq Malik on 900 and Paul Weston from Liberty GB on 158 votes.

Luton South Results

Gavin Shuker (Labour) – 18,660

Attiq Malik (Independent) – 900

Yasin Rehman (UKIP) – 5,129

Katie Redmond (Conservatives) – 12,949

Simon Hall (Greens) – 1,237

Paul Weston (Liberty GB) – 158

Ashuk Ahmed (Liberal Democrats) – 3,183

Turnout – 63%