How Labour rebuilt the red wall in election night triumph as Tories suffer bloodbath

Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour last night rebuilt its Red Wall in one of the most spectacular triumphs in political history.

Overturning damning losses in 2019 which saw Labour return its worst result since the 1930s, Labour had, by 5am, secured enough seats to form the next government.

Sir Keir thanked voters saying they had “changed our country” as, as of 5.45am his party had 378 MPs.

The night was a bloodbath for the Tories who are left with just two seats in our region, one on Teesside in Stockton West, and the other being that of Rishi Sunak.

Labour won back seats it lost to Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party in 2019.

In Darlington, Bishop Auckland, Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor, Cramlington and Killingworth, Redcar and more, Tory MPs elected in 2019 were ousted by Labour candidates.

Peter Gibson and Lola McEvoy. (Image: CHRIS BOOTH)

All eyes were on the North East after 10pm as Blyth and Ashington and Houghton and Sunderland South raced to declare first.

It was the Wearside constituency that became the first to reveal its results, starting the night as it went on for Labour as Bridget Phillipson, who looks set to be the Education Secretary in Labour’s Government, was re-elected.

As the night went on Labour continued to see its North East MPs re-elected, but it was the seats where they made gains from the stories which told the story of the night.

In Darlington, where Conservative Peter Gibson had a majority of more than 3,000, Labour’s Lola McEvoy beat her rival by more than 2,000 votes.

Keir Starmer will become the next Prime Minister. (Image: PA)

It was a tense night in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland where Tory Sir Simon Clarke sought to defend a majority of more than 12,000 votes from 2019.

But Labour managed to inch it over the line with Labour’s Luke Myers beating Sir Simon by 214 votes.

Meanwhile the second story of the night was the rise of Reform UK. The party pulled into second place in a host of constituencies across the region.

The exit poll predicted Reform would secure its first North East seat in Hartlepool, but Labour beat Nigel Farage’s party by more than 7,000 seats.

Meanwhile Farage and Richard Tice were among four reform MPs elected to Parliament.

Rishi Sunak, who held onto his Richmond and Northallerton seat with a sizable majority conceded defeat nationally to Sir Keir.

Mr Sunak said: “The Labour Party has won this General Election, and I’ve called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.

A glum-looking Rishi Sunak. (Image: PA)

"The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn… and I take responsibility for the loss.

But in London moments later Sir Keir was giving a jubilant victory speech in the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, less than a mile from the South Bank where Tony Blair gave his own victory speech in 1997.

Surrounded by signs bearing the words “Change begins”, Sir Keir addressed a crowd of Labour members including former leader Lord Neil Kinnock and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.

As he left the stage to applause and stamping feet, he embraced and kissed his wife, Victoria.

Recommended reading:

• Lola McEvoy elected Darlington MP as Labour reclaim seat from Tories

• North East General Election live tracker: Every result mapped and charted

• Election Result: Rishi Sunak wins Richmond & Northallerton seat

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He thanked campaigners and voters saying: “Thank you, truly. You have changed our country.”

He added: “But a mandate like this comes with a great responsibility. Our task is nothing less than renewing ideas that hold this country together – national renewal, whoever you are, wherever you start in life, if you work hard, if you play by the rules, this country should give you a fair chance to get on.”