The crushing defeats that have rocked the Liberal Democrats across the country hit Sutton and Cheam as Conservative Paul Scully took out Paul Burstow who had held the seat every election since 1997.

The writing was on the wall almost as soon as the first boxes were opened as traditional Lib Dem strongholds within the constituency failed to build up a significant lead and his win had already been accepted in the hall before the results were finally read out at about 4.30am.

Your Local Guardian:

Mayor Arthur Hookway reads out the results that confirmed Sutton and Cheam goes Tory blue 

Liberal Democrat councillor Jayne McCoy was the first to suggest defeat was on the cards and throughout the night as the piles in Mr Scully's favour continued to grow until he was finally declared winner having polled 20,732 votes. ousting Mr Burstow on 16,811.

This was reiterated by other parties including UKIP and Labour.

Mr Scully praised the  "100s of people" who worked to support his two-year campaign.

He said: "I joined the Conservative Party in 1997 after the general election.

"I gave them £25 thinking they needed it more than I did and because I wanted to see the Conservatives in Sutton.

"Now we need to finish the job. There is still one Liberal Democrat MP in the borough and we still haven't got a Conservative council."

Mr Scully said he would be a "pragmatic" MP.

"I run my own business. I want to solve problems rather than just make a campaign out of it and create petitions."

He said that he would stand up to the local authority as and when it was needed, adding: "In the last 18 years I don't remember a time when any of the two Lib Dem MPs raised any concerns about the council. Their colleagues are in the council.

"It's been a one-party state for a long time."

Your Local Guardian:

Paul Burstow and his wife Mary

The defeated Mr Burstow arrived at the count with his wife and borough councillor Mary Burstow.

The outcome was already a well know secret by this time.

He said that the result was sad but that when he thought about how his political journey began 18 years ago in the same Westcroft Leisure Centre that it had been "an amazing journey".

He too thanked those who had worked on his campaign and that he would continue to pursue many of the issues, such as the ageing population and mental health, that were important to him.

"The Conservative Party has run a successful campaign of taking out Liberal Democrat MPs." 

Results:

  • Paul Scully - Conservative: 20,732 (elected)
  • Paul Burstow - Liberal Democrats: 16,811
  • Emily Brothers - Labour: 5,546
  • Gus Dalgleish - UKIP: 5,341
  • Maeve Tomlinson - Green Party: 1,051
  • Dave Ash - National Health Action Party: 345
  • Pauline Gorman - TUSC: 79