Long-serving Conservative MP David Morris "happy to pass the baton on" after election defeat

Friday, 5 July 2024 07:33

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

David Morris pictured at Lancaster Town Hall on election night

David Morris said "it's time to go home and just chill out" after 14 years as MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale.

The Conservative was speaking shortly after losing his seat to Labour's Lizzi Collinge in Friday's general election results.

Mr Morris gave Mrs Collinge a hug of congratulations and spoke graciously in defeat after votes were counted at Lancaster Town Hall.

LISTEN to David Morris speaking after his election defeat

"I've enjoyed being a Member of Parliament for 14 years," he said.

"I love my community. I've settled in Morecambe, I'm staying in Morecambe.

"What the future holds for me, who knows?

"I wish everybody well out there and I'm quite happy to pass the baton on.

"I wish Lizzi well. We're different parties but at the end of the day we're all human beings. We have differences of opinion and that's healthy. I wish her all the best, I really do.

"It's time to go home and just chill out."

Mr Morris, who was first elected in 2010 when he defeated long-time Labour MP Geraldine Smith, said the highlights of his tenure were the Heysham to M6 link road being completed in 2015, and getting £50m from the Conservative government towards the planned Eden Project Morecambe attraction which is due to open in 2027.

The former MP who called himself 'The Man Who Gets Things Done' said he is now "going to do things for himself".

"It's not the end of the story for me, not by a long shot," he said.

Overall it was a bad election night for Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives, as Labour swept to power with a landslide general election win.

With results from just 13 seats of 650 still to be declared, Labour had won 410 seats in the House of Commons, to the Conservatives' 116. The Liberal Democrats had won 70, their most seats since 1923. The Scottish National Party had eight and Sinn Fein seven. Reform UK and the Green Party had won four each.

It's the Tories' worst ever electoral defeat. Twelve Cabinet Ministers lost their seats, as did former Prime Minister Liz Truss. They are forecasted to lose a total of 250 seats.

MORECAMBE and LUNESDALE FULL RESULT

Lizzi Collinge (Labour) – 19,603 ELECTED

David Morris (Conservative) – 13,788

Barry Parsons (Reform UK) – 7,810

Peter Jackson (Lib Dem) – 4,769

Gina Dowding (Green) – 2,089

GENERAL ELECTION 2024: Live Coverage - Beyond Radio