Conservative James Heappey has been re-elected as Burnham-On-Sea’s MP with an increased majority following Thursday’s General Election.
Mr Heappey has retained his Wells parliamentary seat with a majority of 9,991 votes after successfully fighting of a challenge from Liberal Democrat Tessa Munt.
The results for the constituency were announced at 4.15am this morning at the Bath and West Showground near Shepton Mallet where the count took place. The results are:
- James Heappey (Con) 33,336 votes
- Tessa Munt (Lib Dem) 23,345 votes
- Kama McKenzie (Lab) 4,304 votes
- Susie Quatermass (Motherworld) 270 votes
- Dave Dobbs (Ind) 373 votes
Residents across the Burnham area flocked to polling stations on Thursday despite wet and windy weather. The turnout was 73.51%.
Mr Heappey said in his victory speech that he is “hugely honoured” to be the constituency’s MP once again and said that “parties need to work together now.”
Tessa Munt said that she was “disappointed” to lose her bid to become the area’s MP and that she is now worried about “Brexit chaos”.
Labour candidate Kama McKenzie said that the election had become a “second Brexit referendum.”
The Conservatives held on to all their seats in Somerset, including Weston-super-Mare, West Somerset and Wells.
At the 2017 General Election, James Heappey won the parliamentary seat for the Conservatives with a majority of 7,582 votes, or 50.1% of the vote, over Tessa Munt’s 37.6%.
At the 2015 General Election, Mr Heappey won the parliamentary seat with a majority of 7,585 votes, or 46.1% of the vote, over Tessa Munt’s 32.8%. Tessa won the seat for the Liberal Democrats by 800 votes at the previous election in 2010 when she beat David Heathcoat-Amory who had been the Tory MP for 27 years.
