Conservative Katie Lam has won the new Weald of Kent constituency on an otherwise torrid night for her party.

Ms Lam was returned with a majority just short of 8,500 and vowed to put the countryside and rural values at the heart of her tenure.

With a lower than anticipated turnout of 67%, the Tories secured 20,202 votes with Labour’s Lenny Rolles in second. Reform UK’s Daniel Kersten came in third.

After the declaration, Ms Lam said: “It’s been a difficult night across the country for the party but I am grateful to have had such support here.

“I am very proud of my team and the campaign we have run. It’s important to people that I am here and available to them, and that I live locally.

“We ran the best campaign we possibly could. It remains to be seen what the focus of the new government will be, but apart from standing up for the countryside and rural values will probably be the single most important thing.”

Liberal Democrat John Howson said: “The targeting strategy of the Lib Dems worked perfectly and we won Tunbridge Wells. All our resources were went there to ensure that we did that.

“The first past the post system produces these bizarre results and we would be much better without the first past the post system. But I am pleased with the outcome here and I thank all who voted for me.”

Weald of Kent is a new seat, carved out of four Tory seats, including huge chunks of Helen Grant’s Maidstone and the Weald and Damian Green’s Ashford.

The new patch was created in order to reflect the rising population numbers in Kent.

The number of constituencies sits at 18, up one on 2019.

Pollsters Survation had Mr Rolles marginally ahead of Ms Lam on the eve of the elelction, although others had Labour a distant second.

Up until a week ago, the Conservative candidate Katie Lam was not thought to be under threat with an 85% chance of winning according to EC.

As voters headed for the ballot booths, that had dropped to 59%.

Weald of Kent has absorbed its electorate mainly from the boroughs of Ashford, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells.

There are an estimated 90 smaller villages scattered across a largely rural area.

Constituency profilers, based on census data, say the voter is likely to be older, better off and right leaning.

Farm crime, policing, fly-tipping, anti-social behaviour, house building and the state of the roads have been the main local issues raised in the election campaign.

Education, cost of living, the NHS and social care are among the national topics important to people on the doorstep, said the candidates.