Didcot and Wantage’s new MP has spoken for the first time since winning the seat for the Liberal Democrats.
Olly Glover won the highly-contested seat with a massive 21,793 votes which bested nearest rival David Johnston by 6,233.
The Conservative politician lost his seat which he has held since 2019 after getting 15,560 votes in the 2024 general election.
Mr Glover spoke to the Oxford Mail at Abingdon’s White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre on Friday morning and took the time to send a message to his constituents.
READ MORE: Henley turns Lib Dem for the first time in 114 YEARS
Olly Glover won his seat in the 2024 general election. (Image: Newsquest)
“I am feeling pleased, excited and I suppose a bit bewildered but really excited by the opportunity that I have been given by the people of Didcot and Wantage and looking forward to the next steps,” he said.
“My first message to the people of Didcot and Wantage is thank you very much and I know a lot of people tactically voted for us and I remain committed to a proportional representation voting system so you don’t have to do that in the future.
“I take the privilege really seriously and I want to get my office up and running really quickly and then get on with sorting some things on people’s minds like GP surgery capacity across the constituency, tackling sewage dumping and improving local transport, working with our councils.”
The result was the first time a party other than the Conservatives were voted into power in Henley with Tories such as Boris Johnson and Michael Heseltine previously holding the seat.
READ MORE: David Johnston loses seat as Olly Glover and Lib Dems win Didcot and Wantage
The moment @OllyGloverLD was declared the new MP of Didcot and Wantage 🟠 #GeneralElection2024 pic.twitter.com/qAxNFjmn0p
— Edward Burnett (@edwardburnettt) July 5, 2024
Mr Glover’s win also came alongside Layla Moran’s win in Oxford West and Abingdon as well as Freddie Van Mierlo’s Henley and Thame victory which were also declared at the same venue making it a hattrick for the Lib Dems.
“It is a big win, I haven’t actually worked out the swing but it must be pretty enormous for an effective majority of 10,000 for the Conservatives to become 6,200 for us.
“So yeah, it is a huge win and we are really pleased but now it is down to us to deliver.
“It is obviously fantastic news [Liberal Democrats winning all three seats at Abingdon’s White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre], it’s definitely at the upper end of our hopes and expectations and it just shows that it is a countywide thing that people really want to make sure.”
READ MORE: Reform UK claim surge of votes in Oxfordshire but fail to win seats
Freddie Van Mierlo, Layla Moran and Olly Glover. (Image: Newsquest)
The result sees the Lib Dems now hold as many as six Oxfordshire consistencies whilst Labour have two being Banbury as well as Oxford East whilst the Tories have none.
David Johnston refused to speak to the Oxford Mail.
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