General election 2019: Layla Moran re-elected with larger majority

BBC Layla MoranBBC
Layla Moran said she would "wait and see" about running for leader

The Liberal Democrats have held the previously-marginal seat of Oxford West and Abingdon with an increased majority.

Layla Moran, who won the seat from the Tories in 2017 by just 816 votes, has increased her majority to 8,943.

On a night that saw her party leader Jo Swinson lose her seat, Ms Moran did not rule herself out of the running for a leadership bid.

Asked whether she would stand, she said "we will have to wait and see".

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"I'm deeply, deeply concerned about what Boris Johnson is now going to do to our country and it's great to have the voters of Oxford West and Abingdon behind me," she said.

Sir Ed Davey and Baroness Sal Brinton will replace Ms Swinson as joint acting leaders, until the Liberal Democrats hold the leadership election in the New Year.

Ms Moran's 31,340 votes saw her beat Conservative James Fredrickson.

Speaking about her majority, she said: "It's pretty awesome, I have to say, especially on a night with pretty mixed pictures across the country, a really weird election this has been."

In Oxford East, Labour's Anneliese Dodds held her seat, albeit with a smaller majority.

Ms Dodds polled 17,832 more votes than Conservative Louise Staite, a decrease in her majority from 23,284 in 2017.

Anneliese Dodds
Anneliese Dodds held her seat albeit with a smaller majority

She said she was "delighted" to be re-elected despite there being "lots for Labour to think about over the days to come".

Elsewhere in Oxfordshire, Conservative John Howell has been re-elected in Henley with a drop in his majority by 8,241 votes - largely due to a rise in the Lib Dem vote. Banbury MP Victoria Prentis held her seat and increased her majority by 4,414 seats.

In Wantage, Conservative David Johnston beat Richard Benwell by more than 12,653.

He takes over from former Tory MP Ed Vaizey.

Witney's Conservative MP Robert Courts held his seat, beating Liberal Democrat Charlotte Hoagland by 15,177 votes, 6,064 less than his majority at the 2017 election.

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