Justice Secretary Alex Chalk loses seat in Cheltenham election vote

The Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk, has lost his seat in Cheltenham.

The Liberal Democrats candidate, Max Wilkinson, will be appointed as the town's new MP.

Alex Chalk has held the seat since 2015, however, only gained a slim majority of less than 1,000 votes in the 2019 general election.

The seat has been passed between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives since the 1950s, with constituents embracing tactical voting.

The Liberal Democrats have deep-roots to the constituency, after holding it for two-decades from the 1990s. And earlier this year, their leader, Sir Ed Davey, launched his election campaign in Cheltenham, showing his confidence in the seat.

Speaking about his loss, Alex Chalk, said: "Personally, it's devastating. I'm disappointed. But you know, you can't only love democracy when you win. I accept the result and I wish my successor well."

Speaking about his win, Max Wilkinson, said: "Well, I'm delighted to be the new member of parliament for Cheltenham. It's something I've been working for for a lot of years. But for me, this is about getting a fair deal for our town, a fair deal on the NHS and social care, making sure we're looking after our environment and stopping the sewage scandal... And also tackling that cost of living crisis."

"Those are the things people want me to do as member of parliament for Cheltenham and I will be working from day one to make sure I do that."

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