LABOUR'S Stephen Doughty has been re-elected as MP for Cardiff South and Penarth.

In the early hours of this morning, Mr Doughty won 27,382 votes as a crowd of supporters cheered in the marble foyer of Cardiff City Hall. But this was a bittersweet victory, with Labour suffering its greatest electoral defeat in decades.

By the morning, Boris Johnson’s unflinching commitment to getting Brexit done, a phrase which appears 22 times in the Conservative manifesto, had won his party substantial gains across the UK and doubled its seats in Wales. It included Wrexham, a long held Labour stronghold which has never had a Tory MP.

As results across the country flitted in through the television, Cardiff South and Penarth’s Conservative candidate, Philippa Broom, was buoyant with excitement for the future.

“This is an amazing result for the UK," she said. "We’ve had three years of paralysis. People feel like democracy has not been delivered. Tonight people are saying enough is enough. They’re responding to Boris’ message to get Brexit done.

“I’m really optimistic about this. Delivering Brexit will open the world for us. We are an incredibly innovative trading nation and we can make a great success of Brexit. There’s a tremendous opportunity here to move forward.”

Mr Doughty was less energetic. In a brisk and disheartened speech, he said: “I will still be standing with my constituency against the government that is now going to be elected. We will stand together as a strong Welsh Labour team here in Cardiff and Wales. We must continue to stand up for the vulnerable and for those excluded in our society. And that is what I will do for Cardiff South and Penarth.”

Meanwhile, it was announced that Jeremy Corybn would resign as Labour leader after the party’s fourth general election defeat in a decade.

Afterwards, Mr Doughty dutifully made his way through a line of caffeinated journalists and television reporters. He said: “It’s hugely honouring to be re-elected for Cardiff South and Penarth that the people have put their trust in me again. That’s incredible and I will continue to stand up for them as independently as I have done for seven years.

“But obviously it is part of a very disappointing picture for Wales all across the UK and I’m losing many incredibly value colleagues who’ve made a huge difference for their constituents. We need a very stark period of reflection about where we go from here.”

Reflecting on the prospect of a Tory majority government, Mr Doughty said: “I’m hugely fearful for the future of our country and the impact on the most vulnerable in society of a majority Conservative administration. I am worried about the integrity and functioning of our democracy going forward. As you know, there are some serious concerns about certain things that have emerged in this campaign and, of course, we are going to see Brexit happen and I think that’s going to prove hugely damaging for our country in the long term.”

Full result:

  • Stephen Doughty (Labour) - 27,382 (54.1 per cent)
  • Philippa Broom (Conservative) - 14,645 (29 per cent)
  • Dan Schmeising (Lib Dem) - 2,985 (5.9 per cent)
  • Nasir Adam (Plaid Cymru) - 2,386 (4.7 per cent)
  • Tim Price (Brexit Party) - 1,999 (four per cent)
  • Ken Barker (Green) - 1,182 (2.3 per cent)

Turnout: 64.2 per cent