MP of 14 years Damian Collins has lost his seat with Labour sweeping to victory and overturning a huge Tory majority.

Tony Vaughan has taken the Folkestone and Hythe constituency - the first result to be declared in Kent during election night.

The new MP for the district told KentOnline that he is “absolutely ready” to deliver change after an “intense” campaign.

“It's been a whirlwind, to be honest. We have an amazing team and it's been a great effort from everyone,” he said.

“It's been an intense campaign. But I have enjoyed it.

"There are so many issues and people are sick to death of the way things are. Things got so bad to the point they knew things had to change.

"People have voted for change. Even people who wouldn't normally vote Labour have got behind us.

"We have a policy and manifesto that people can resonate with and we are absolutely ready to deliver this."

Labour is celebrating huge wins over the Tories in Kent, with the Lib Dems also picking up their first-ever seat in the county.

The victories come amid a Labour landslide nationally - putting Keir Starmer in Downing Street with a huge majority.

New Liberal Democrat MP for Tunbridge Wells Mike Martin described the night’s results as a “political earthquake” in Kent.

In Kent, Labour have won 11 seats, the Conservatives have kept hold of six and the Lib Dems have gained one.

It means the Tories have lost in 10 seats in the county they previously held - and even came third in Dover, with Reform finishing second.

Earlier in the night, Reform candidate Bill Wright revealed he was confident of having “a real chance” of winning the seat but placed in third, just behind Mr Collins.

Exit polls predicted Labour had a 98% chance of gaining the seat and the incumbent MP – Conservative Mr Collins – would be unseated by Mr Vaughan.

Speaking ahead of the results, Mr Wright says he is “quietly confident”, adding: “The exit polls are looking very positive. Reform has made a huge impact.

"We have taken a big share of the vote here. I'm feeling pretty confident!

"It's going to be close I think.

"We have a real chance of coming first! Most of the Conservative voters we have spoken to are sick of the Tories but don't want to vote Labour.

"I think Reform is now their natural home."

Reacting to earlier reports Mr Collins could be defeated and dropping into third place, KCC leader Cllr Roger Gough (Con) told KMTV's live broadcast it would be an "astonishing" result.

Folkestone and Hythe has traditionally been one of the safest of safe, true blue seats.

Held by a Conservative since it was formed in 1950, the constituency remained a Tory stronghold even in the period when Tony Blair’s Labour Party scored its 1997 landslide and other east Kent seats turned red.

The county could see a seismic shift in its political make-up as exit polls are projecting a Labour landslide and the loss of 11 Tory seats in the county.

If the forecast is accurate, Sir Keir Starmer will become prime minister with 410 MPs – just short of Tony Blair's 1997 total.

KentOnline understands that we are hearing that Damian Collins may be in danger of falling into third place behind both Labour and Reform.

The turnout for the Folkestone and Hythe parliamentary election was 61.94%.

Poll of polls Electoral Calculus predicted a Labour gain but the pre-election poll from YouGov yesterday evening highlighted the race could be tighter than initially expected.

When the seat was last contested in 2019, the Conservatives won with a thumping majority of 21,337.

Mr Collins, who has represented the constituency since 2010, claimed a 60.1% share of the votes cast. His nearest challenger, Labour’s Laura Davison, received just 24%.

But earlier projections suggested the Tories could even be pushed into third place behind Reform UK.

A victory for Labour in this coastal constituency, which covers the main towns of Folkestone and Hythe as well as the more rural Romney Marsh, would represent a significant shock.

Boundary changes have seen a big shift in the demographic of the constituency.

The town of Hawkinge and the rural belt in the Elham Valley - which have been traditionally Tory in the past - have moved into the Ashford constituency.

Since 2019 there have been signs of change in the local political landscape.

At the local elections in 2023, the Conservatives lost control of Folkestone and Hythe District Council as voters returned just five Tory councillors in the 30 seats up for grabs.

The big winners were the Greens and Labour, who won 11 and 10 of the contested wards respectively.

Click here to read an in-depth analysis of the constituency.

The result meant the local authority became the first in Kent to be led by a Green administration.

While local issues are likely to take a back seat to national concerns at a general election, there are constituency-specific matters which have driven the change in power at the Civic Centre.

People locally have backed the Greens in increasing numbers due to concerns over the dumping of sewage in local waters, and opposition to development plans – such as the proposed Princes Parade scheme, now axed by the Green administration – have also seen voters move away from the Conservatives.

Despite the Greens' success in the local elections, candidate Marianne Brett is not expected to be a major runner in this general election.

Reform candidate Bill Wright could poll a significant result in Folkestone and Hythe as the party’s popularity continues to increase under the leadership of Nigel Farage.

The Liberal Democrats received more than 5,000 votes in 2019 and are not expected to make inroads against the leading three parties in the polls.

If you don’t fancy any of them, Folkestone and Hythe have the Fairer Voting Party and the Trade Union Socialist Coalition also standing.