South Suffolk General Election 2024 count: Updates from Endeavour House in Ipswich
The polls have closed and the count is due to start for the South Suffolk constituency.
Votes are being tallied at Endeavour House in Ipswich, with results expected to be declared at about 4am.
In tonight's election, the turnout for the constituency was 65.70% per cent, with 49,027 ballot papers to be counted.
The five people vying for the seat are:
- Beverley England (Reform UK)
- Tom Bartleet (Liberal Democrat)
- James Cartlidge (Conservative)
- Emma Bishton (Labour)
- Jessie Carter (Green)
Mr Cartlidge won the constituency in 2019 with a 22,897 majority after scoring 33,270 votes - a share of 62.2 per cent.
Labour’s Elizabeth Hughes gained 10,373 votes, David Beavan (Liberal Democrats) had 6,702 and 3,144 for Robert Lindsay (Green Party).
Our reporters are at the majority of the election counts across Suffolk. To read our live blog with updates from the counts, click here.
James Cartlidge, Conservative candidate who has held the South Suffolk seat since 2015, said: “The last nine years have been incredible for me and this is now my fourth General Election in nine years. The mathematics of the upcoming results though are staggeringly bad for our party.
“Locally, I think a priority for whoever is elected should be Delphi as the fire there was so frustrating for me. We got genuine interest in the site and Delphi rejected that. There’s a clear issue around fire threats and it should be a priority to sort moving forwards.
“I’ve had reasonable responses on the doorsteps from people and in Sudbury they liked that I secured the funding for Ormiston Academy.
“The focus is the local economy so job fairs and meeting businesses are important and I’ve always had a big passion for schools and education. We want more schools with better Ofsteds. So economy and education are my big priorities locally and primary care is a big issue for my constituents as well.”
“The number one issue has been immigration though and people are very anxious about that and small boat crosses so we cannot forget about that.
“As a defence minister, people underestimate how fragile the international situation is too. We’ve stood up to Putin and if it hadn’t been for us standing up for Ukraine, the world would’ve been in a terribly dangerous place.
“Domestically, that war led to a huge spike in prices. The inflation has now come down and we’ve had to do difficult things for that so I hope with inflation lower, I hope businesses in Sudbury can have more confidence.”
Emma Bishton, Labour candidate, said: “We will wait and see but nationally it’s looking very encouraging and good for us.
“What we’re seeing come through is what we’d expect after conversations we’ve had with people. People are fed up, want a change and want a Labour government.
“We have to do things one step at a time and the striking thing I’ve noticed by talking to people is that is that they have been let down by broken promises.
“There’s a lot of despair and feeling that things aren’t working so we’re trying to change that.
“Delphi is a significant site and it offers huge potential. Sudbury can really benefit from it so there’s a need for a focus on that especially after it’s been closed for years now.
“Dentistry is also a big issue that needs to happen on the ground. That’s another big conversation I’ve had.
“Based on the places I’ve campaigned at, schools and primary schools in particular are a priority. Education is a particular interest of mine but it’s evident that there are some schools which don’t feel like happy places.
“The solutions aren’t going to be quick or easy but there certainly are things that need to happen with that too.”
Tom Bartleet, Liberal Democrat candidate, said: “I’m feeling good tonight. We’ve run a really positive campaign, have been very proactive and have been invigorating the local party.
“We have been getting a lot of new people involved who haven’t been involved before which has been great to see.
“We’ve seen a lot of new volunteers and people prepared to help and it’s been a been a life-affirming event.
“We’ve knocked on nearly 10,000 doors since the election was called and you get a real sense of people’s frustrations.
“For us, It’s about about returning to public service, doing the right thing, and putting constituents ahead of yourself. I felt the important thing was to stand up and do things a different way.
“I think people in South Suffolk want hope and want their services to work and also a return to good governance and government.”
Beverley England, Reform UK candidate, said. “The way the country has been run over the last few years has been shocking and the public are seeing their hard-earned taxes wasted and all of us are fed up with it.
“Reform UK are all hard-working taxpayers, same as the general public and we have seen our money wasted. Not only that but the Government has put us into so much debt.
“We have common sense policies and we look at the country with common sense and I just think the general public want to go back to common sense policies on all levels.
“What’s coming down the road for younger people is awful. I’m hoping to win but not for myself, I’m doing it for my son, who is 28, and all the other youngsters in this country.
“Nationally, I want this country back on track economically. There is no money. That’s why it’s essential we get back on track as I don’t think Labour are able to do it and the Conservatives have proved they can’t.
“I want Reform UK to win so we have some traction and I want us to be the fiercest opposition this country has ever seen.”
Jessie Carter, Green candidate, said: “I’m definitely excited for this evening as it’s an opportunity for change. I’ve never done a General Election before as well so it’s a really exciting time.
“Personally, I just want a change and if there was ever a year for change, this is it. I think the whole country is crying out for a change to be honest and I hope people have voted with their heart and something that they believe in.
“The country is in a bit of a state and a lot of things have been bled dry or left to the side.
“Look at the NHS, public transport, rivers and even local governments are going bankrupt so I don’t think the running of this country has been good at all.
“I’m looking particularly to make changes in housing and social housing where people are priced out of homes in their own area and education is a big thing too that I’m looking at changing to make it fairer.
“I’ve also been a member of the cost of living alliance for three years and I know how there are so many people really struggling with the cost of living crisis.”
Our reporters are at the majority of the election counts across Suffolk. To read our live blog with updates from the counts, click here.
This story will be updated throughout the night.
