LIVE updates from the Malvern Observer team, Geoff Berkeley and Jonny Bonell, at The Bank House Hotel where we will find out the results of the 2015 West Worcestershire General Election.
4.34am: Summary: Harriett Baldwin retains her Conservative seat for West Worcestershire in emphatic style as she scoops 30,342 votes and gets an overwhelming majority of more than 22,000. Turn out for the election stood at 74% with 54, 314 ballots issued. Thanks for following tonight/this morning.
4.19am: A full list of the 2015 results:
Harriett Baldwin (Conservative) = 30,342
Richard Chamings (Ukip) = 7,764
Daniel Walton (Labour) = 7,244
Dennis Wharton (Lib Dem) = 5,245
Julian Roskams (Green Party) = 3,505
BREAKING: HARRIETT BALDWIN RETAINS CONSERVATIVE SEAT IN WEST WORCESTERSHIRE
4.11am: Results moments away..
4.01am: We have been given a five minute warning!
3.55am: Being told the last three tables are now finishing up ‘so not long’.
3.48min: Result nearing conclusion, expected in ten minutes.
3.32am: Looks ever-increasingly like a Conservative hold in West Worcestershire. Result expected shortly after 3.45am.
3am: Robin Walker has held his Conservative seat – with an increased majority – in neighbouring Worcester.
2.56am: Workers busy counting as a result draws closer.
2.40am: The provisional turnout figure here is 74.002% – a 0.2% increase on 2010 while the number votes cast are 54,314, compared to 54,093 five years ago.
2.28am: Counting has started for the West Worcestershire General Election!
2.12am: Ladbrokes have said they are no longer taking bets on whether David Cameron will stay as Prime Minister.
2.10am: Results now very unlikely to happen before 3am.
1.58am: BBC have said Conservatives are doing better than the exit polls and could gain an overall majority.
1.20am: Results definitely won’t be announced before 2.30am.
1.10am: A quick word on the District Council vote later today. Sources have claimed Independents going well while Conservatives are battling to retain seats.
1.08am: Mrs Baldwin received 27,213 votes in 2010 but we have been told to ‘add another 5,000 to that’.
1.03am: An Observer source has admitted Harriett Baldwin looks to have retained her West Worcestershire seat by a ‘country mile’. “The decision could be done on weight of papers alone.”
12.42am: All 176 ballot boxes – from 93 polling stations across the district – have now arrived at The Bank House.
12.12am: Just been told that as of 2pm Thursday afternoon, the postal figure turnout was 85%.
12.01am: It is midnight and we are still reporting live from The Bank House Hotel, volunteers still furiously counting the votes.
11.36pm: We have just been told several of the boxes are ‘still way off’.
11.32pm: Green Party candidate Julian Roskams has told The Observer he would be disappointed if he did not get close to 3,000 votes. Malcolm Victory scooped just 600 for the same party back in 2010.
11.08pm: There are 73 counters here at The Bank House Hotel tonight.
11.05pm: Here is a reminder of what the five West Worcestershire Parliamentary candidates have pledged to do for the area.
Harriett Baldwin, Conservative Party:
Daniel Walton, Labour Party:
Richard Chamings, UKIP:
Julian Roskams, Green Party:
Dennis Wharton, Liberal Democrat
10.55pm: Sunderland South has continued its tradition of declaring first with Labour holding their seat.
10.50pm: We have just been told the Link Ward was the first box to come in.
10.45pm: High Sheriff Sir Anthony Winnington will announce tonight’s West Worcestershire results, Mr Hegarty has confirmed. All four candidates will be provisionally told the result first, before the public declaration is made.
10.30pm: A YouGov exit poll has it tighter than what the BBC predicted, with Conservatives 284, Labour 263, SNP 48 and Lib Dem 31.
10.17pm: Latest odds on who will be our next Prime Minister, via Paddy Power. David Cameron leads the way at 1/7, Ed Miliband is following at 4/1, while Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage are both out at 100/1.
10.06pm: Jack Hegarty, chief executive of Malvern Hills District Council, has just taken to the stage to say the first ballot boxes will be here in a matter of minutes. And just like that, the first boxes have arrived… The 2015 General Election count is underway!
10.05pm: BBC early prediction that it will be Conservative victory. Exit poll suggests: Con: 316 seats Lab: 239 seats Lib: 10 seats SNP 58 seats UKIP 2 seats
10pm: POLLING STATIONS CLOSED
9.45pm: We will be with you right through to 5am as Harriett Baldwin (Conservative Party), Julian Roskams (Green Party), Daniel Walton (Labour Party), Dennis Wharton (Liberal Democrat) and Richard Chamings (UKIP) bid to become MP for West Worcestershire.
9.40pm: Welcome to our live coverage of the 2015 general and local election, where we will keep you up to speed with the goings on at the West Worcestershire count, along with updates on who will be running the country tomorrow.
