Geoffrey Cox

Sir Geoffrey Cox (Conservative) has been re-elected as MP for Torridge and Tavistock.

Transcript

00:00Out of a poll, Torridge, election of a Member of Parliament for Torridge and Tavistock

00:06on Thursday 4th July 2024. I, Steve Hearst, being the Acting Returning Officer at the above

00:15election, do hereby give notice that the number of votes recorded for each candidate at said

00:21election is as follows. Cox, Charles Jeffery, the Conservative Party candidate, 16,049. Hetty,

00:31Philip Andrew, Liberal Democrats, 12,099. Jackson, Andrew Neil, Reform UK, 9,152.

00:42Maciejewska, Judy Sarah, Green Party candidate, 2,350. Rayner, Alan Edward, Independent, 405.

00:52Saxby, Isabel Angela, Labour Party, 10,765. The number of ballot papers rejected was as follows.

01:031, official mark, 0. Voting for more candidates than voters entitled to, 26. Voting, writing or

01:12mark by which voter could be identified, 1. Being unmarked or wholly void for uncertainty, 142.

01:20There were no ballot papers rejected in part, so a total of 170 rejected ballot papers.

01:27With a vacant seat of 1, an electorate of 74,727, the number of ballot papers issued was 50,990,

01:39giving a turnout of 68.24%. And I do hereby declare that Charles Jeffery Cox,

01:47commonly known as Jeffrey Cox, is duly elected.

02:00Well, Mr. Acting Returning Officer, may I thank you, your staff, for what's been a very long night

02:06and an efficiently conducted count. Thank you very much. Thank you also to the Atlantic Racket

02:11Centre, which has provided a superb venue for this elections count. I also would like to thank,

02:18if I may, my fellow candidates, all of whom have fought, some I think new to the political fray,

02:24but I'm sure they'll be back in one form or another, who fought excellent fights.

02:32I am privileged to have been elected for the sixth time for this constituency,

02:38or at least a constituency covering the same area. I do not propose to be making a long speech

02:45this evening after such a long day. This is a moment when my party needs and will have to reflect

02:53on why the verdict of the British people has been so severe. I think those of us who have

02:59lived over the last four and a half years will be able already to form some conclusions. But I think

03:04the time has come for us to wish the new government well. It's important that it does succeed,

03:12and in entering to opposition, as we in the Conservative Party will do, I hope we will do

03:18it in a constructive spirit, opposing not simply for the sake of opposing, but where it's necessary

03:26in the national interest. So ladies and gentlemen, I have to say it's with a sense of great humility

03:32and honour that I once again take up the mantle of representing this great constituency

03:39and its extraordinary people. It's a privilege to have done so for 19 years,

03:45and I will do it to the best of my ability for the next five. Thank you very much.