The people of Tunbridge Wells have spoken and voted for Conservative party candidate Greg Clark as their MP.

Supporters cheered and applauded when the result was announced at Putlands Sports and Leisure Centre in Paddock Wood just after 3.45am.

There were five candidates on the ballot paper and the turnout was 73%.

In his celebration speech he said: "To be elected for the fifth time with more than half of people voting, voting for me in this election it is something I deeply appreciate and I am very grateful for everyone who has participated in this election.

"We are famous in Tunbridge Wells for being outspoken but we are also famous for conducting our politics in a civilised, courteous and reasonable way. That is how this campaign has been conducted throughout the election and I think it is how we send a signal up to our national politics as to how politics should be conducted.

"This is an important night for the country, in my view it is a time for us to come together to put the divisions behind us."

He also thanked staff, his team, his family and voters for their support

In an interview with the Kent Messenger after the result he said: "I am thrilled and it is an honour to be elected by the people of Tunbridge Wells where more than half of those who participated voted for me. Now that I have been elected I represent the whole community and I have always interpreted my role that way and I look forward to serving in my role for the next five years."

Runner up Liberal Democrat candidate, Ben Chapelard was far from from pleased with the news saying ' we are all going to be losers I'm afraid'.

In his speech he said: "History tells us that a country that is lead on nationalism, fear and division don't thrive and tonight unfortunately is a sad night for our country. We are not all winners in this, we are all going to be losers I'm afraid because history tells us this is not the way a community and a society thrives. You can rest assured that you can count on me locally and as well as my party nationally to fight for those values that makes a country thrive in an increasingly globalised world.

"We want to live in an open, honest and generous society where everybody wherever they come from has the opportunity to live a fulfilling life. I would like to say thank you to my fantastic team."

Later when speaking to the Kent Messenger he added: "Obviously I would have loved to have been the MP for Tunbridge Wells but that hasn't happened, we are a strong second place here and we have tripled our vote share and we are clearly the challengers to the Conservative party so we have got momentum with us for the next election and I think that is good news.

"Tonight as I see it nationalism, hatred and fear won the day. We know that society doesn't thrive in those conditions, it is good for no one, it is not how we build a sustainable society.

In the 2017 election Lib Dems received 5,355 votes.

In third place was Labour candidate Antonio Weiss, who won 8,098 votes, equating to a 14.73% vote share.

This was almost less than half in comparison to the last election where the party received 14,391 votes.

Mr Weiss said thank you to all those who had supported him, adding: "There is misapprehension in Tunbridge Wells and one of the things we as a Labour party try to do is shine a lot on it and the real injustice.

"It is not right that one in five children live in poverty, it is not right that children will be homeless this Christmas... a decade of austerity has caused that and the Labour party will always fight for those who dont have a voice. They often say it is the darkness before the dawn but we will be back and we will always fight it."
Despite not winning he was met with huge cheers and applauds from the audience.

In an interview with the Kent Messenger he added: "I am so pleased that we may have been able to raise these issues up the agenda, in terms of he vote share, I think the issue both nationally and here is that this election has been dominated by Brexit and if I am honest maybe we struggled to get heard in that but it is clear that the country has made a decision moving forward and the Labour party will always stand up for those who we feel aren't being represented well.

"We have grave concerns over a Conservative government but we will always fight for the oppressed."

Throughout the course of the evening news rolled in that Jeremy Corbyn has announced he will not lead the Labour party through the next election.
Upon hearing the news Mr Weiss said: "He has obviously made a difficult decision but a right one which is we need to take some time to reflect and analyse what happened and where we go from here."

Independent candidate Nigel Peacock reacted to the Conservative's keeping the seat by saying that he was not surprised.
He added: "It was expected as much, I really enjoyed the campaign and I really enjoyed doing it and I might do it again someday who knows.

"I think that not having a Conservative MP here would be the end of the Conservative party completely. I don't think Tunbridge Wells will ever be anything but blue."

The verification process began with a number of ballot boxes arriving and counters beginning to go through them just after 10.30pm.

In total there was 44 buildings hosting 55 polling stations and 55 ballot boxes that were delivered to the count.

Once they arrived a group of 84 count assistants and 14 table supervisors made sure everything was in order and the counting began.

There was 54, 971 votes to get through, of which 15,569 were postal votes.

Out of all of the ballots that were received 321 were spoiled and could not be counted.

Before the result was announced Independent candidate Christopher Camp, who was the first of the five to arrive, said: "Things are going very well, at the moment the boxes re coming in and they are being verified emptied and checked, then going out onto the tables to be counted and that is the way it should be. It is all open and above board and there we are."

When asked if he was feeling nervous he said: "Nervous no, excited? Not really.

"I realise my position as an Independent is not likely to gain me the seat but I just feel that at my age I have got to do it now. I have fallen out with the Conservatives temporarily perhaps, but I thought I would come and put myself forward for the alternative Brexit shall we say, a harder Brexit than Mr Johnson looks to get through the Commons when they return."

Independent candidate Nigel Peacock was the next to arrive. He said: "It has been great the last few weeks or so working up to Election Day. As an Independent it is different to being a party because I have different beliefs over different things.

"I am clearly not going to win anything here but the idea of standing was to give people the opportunity to not like the three main parties, talking to a lot of people out there they are very angry with he three parties and how they have been managing things in Westminster.

"Having an Independent candidate on the ballot paper here I thought was important. I was surprised by the exit poll... but it is going to come down to individual constituencies because some of them are very close and it could still go either way."

The turnout percentage was 73.5%, compared to last year where it was 73%. There are 74,813 residents eligible to vote in the constituency.

Labour candidate Antonio Weiss said he was proud of the campaign in the constituency but that if the exit polls are accurate it would be a 'difficult night' for the party.

He said: "We have seen the exit polls now and if they are anything close to correct then it has been a difficult night for us as the Labour party. I am so proud of the campaign we have run here in Tunbridge Wells full of hope an positivity and really trying to shine a light on some of the injustices that are in society and Tunbridge Wells in particular - the fact that one in five children live in poverty, thousands rely on foodbanks, NHS waiting time are some of the worst in the country.

"I cant thank the team enough for the amazing support they have given and I think those issues have become really apparent and really matter to people. I mean I really hope that whatever happens nationally that whoever is in Government take them up because their are people who are not getting a voice and who aren't being heard."

The constituency is made up of 18 wards which are Brenchley and Horsmonden, Broadwater ,Capel, Culvenden, Goudhurst and Lamberhurst, Hawkhurst and Sandhurst, Paddock Wod East , Paddock Wood West , Pantiles and St Marks, Park , Pembury, Rusthall, St James’, St Johns', Sherwood, Southborough and High Brooms, Southborough North and Speldhurst and Bidborough.

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