Ben Houchen's re-election dubbed 'huge achievement'

Ben Houchen's success in the Tees Valley mayoral race shows the Conservatives can retain seats in the general election, a Tory MP has claimed.

Lord Houchen was re-elected for a third term in a rare success for the party which suffered a series of defeats elsewhere in the country.

Darlington MP Peter Gibson described that re-election as a "huge achievement".

But Julie Elliott, Labour MP for Sunderland Central, said the local, mayoral and police commissioner results across England proved Labour was now trusted by voters.

Mr Gibson told BBC One’s Politics North: "Being re-elected for the third time with 53% of the vote was a huge achievement which we’ve worked hard for - despite so much mud being slung and the Labour Party trying to do everything that they possibly could, including the abuse of parliamentary privilege, to undermine Ben Houchen’s efforts to regenerate our region."

But Ms Elliott said Labour's 17% swing against the Tories in Tees Valley showed the party could "take every target seat in the general election".

"Ben ran as an independent," she said. "I’ve never seen a candidate distance himself from his own party as much as Ben did."

Former Liberal Democrat Leader Tim Farron , the MP for Westmorland & Lonsdale, said his party would hold Labour to account should it form the next government.

"In Sunderland, Gateshead and Newcastle, the Lib Dems are the official opposition to the Labour Party," he said.

"One of the things that worries me most is if we get a Labour government with not many resources… then what happens when the electorate gets restless and start going for extreme parties and pretty dangerous options."

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