Rachel Blake at 5am 

LABOUR’S Rachel Blake was elected Labour MP for Cities of London and Westminster turning the constituency red for the first time in its history.

The result around 5am at the Lindsey Hall, a short walk from the Houses of Parliament, as Sir Keir Starmer’s landslide general election victory brought the curtain down on 14 years of Conservative rule.

Ms Blake polled 15,302 to the Tory candidate Tim Barnes’ 12,594, with a 39 percent share of the vote.

In her speech, she said: “Elections are a time for people to make a choice. A decision has been made. It’s time to move forward. We have endured 14 years of Conservative led government. They have presided over chaos.”

She later told the Extra that she was determined to make housing and homeless at the top of her agenda as her first order of business, adding: “Getting Britain building again is something that is so important.”

Asked about different models of social housing, she said: “It’s 5 o clock in the morning and you’re asking me that.”

“No but I think we need to get developers to build more when they are building. Getting more out of Section 106 is something Labour is already talking about.”

“It’s an amazing feeling, right now I feel pretty weird.”

The “Two Cities” constituency boasts some of wealthiest residential areas of London including Mayfair, Belgravia, Marylebone and the City itself – and has always been considered a Conservative fortress.

It was last held by the former Westminster Council leader Nickie Aiken, who chose not to stand again after one term in office.

Mr Barnes, who stood for the Conservatives against Keir Starmer in Holborn and St Pancras in 2017, told Extra the results across the country showed Reform had not materialised as a significant political force, and the relatively small majority held by Ms Blake showed the constituency would be up for grabs next time round in “a two horse race”.

He criticised former Home Secretary Suella Braverman for using her acceptance speech to suggest her own credentials as a new leader of the Conservative Party, on what he described overall as a “terrible night”.

In the north of the borough, Georgia Gould won the redrawn Queen’s Park and Maida Vale constituency with 20,196 votes – more than 15000 votes ahead of her closest rivals.

The Green Vivien Lichtenstein came in second place with Samia Hersi the Conservative in third.

Ms Gould had been selected as the candidate to replace Karen Buck with the veteran MP standing down after 27 years representing the constituency, formerly Westminster North.

After the result was announced, Ms Gould told Extra the “fundamental challenge” for her MP would also be tackling housing and homelessness.

The constituency was called just before 6am in a long night for all concerned at the Westminster count.

Georgia Gould at 6am

Officials who appeared baffled by the delay in results as everyone else has suggested cause could be connected to serious road traffic accident in Park Lane, Mayfair – and a concert in Hyde Park – although there was no real evidence of this.

In 2019, Ms Buck held her constituency with a substantial majority in the Boris Johnson landslide in 2019 with a majority of 10,759.

Lab – Rachel Blake – 15,302.

Con – Tim Barnes – 12,594.

Lib – Dem Ed Lucas – 4,335.

Green – Rajiv Sinha – 2,844.

Reform – Tarun Ghulati – 2752.

More to follow later today