Macclesfield turns red 

Once considered one of the safest Conservative seats in the country, Macclesfield has elected a Labour MP.

Macclesfield has never had a Labour MP since it was established in 1885 – with the Tory’s holding the constituency since 1918.

Tim Roca will now represent the constituency.

“What a night for the Labour party, it is the privilege of my life to be elected member of parliament for Macclesfield,” said Mr Roca in his winning speech.

He then thanked the returning officer and the staff at the count before paying tribute to David Rutley, the former MP for Macclesfield since 2010.

He said: “I want to pay tribute to his public service, not just to our constituency but to our county.

“I also want to say a big thank you to the volunteers and the activists of the Macclesfield Labour Party… you have made today’s amazing result possible.”

Mr Roca joins 19 other Labour MPs who have gained seats across the region, including from other Conservative safe seats such as Ribble Valley and Warrington South.

He ended his speech saying he “will work his socks off” to repay the trust of voters across the constituency and said the Labour party have “offered something that people could believe in”.