Tory gain seat in the Midlands

General election 2010: Tories make massive swing in Leicester

General election 2010: Tories make massive swing in Leicester

By Sam Dale

The Conservatives have gained North West Leicestershire from Labour with a massive 12% swing.

The seat was number 90 on the Tory target list and sees Andrew Brigden elected to parliament.

Mr Brigden took a 7,511 majority over his Labour rival Ross Wilmot who received just 30% of the vote, compared to 45% in 2005.

The Conservative swing would result in a huge majority if repeated nationally but the swings have been extremely different in different constituencies.

The area contains East Midlands Airport, which has flights to the rest of Britain and various places in Europe.

It is also notable for Castle Donington, site of Donington Park, a grand-prix circuit and site for music festivals.

This seat taken by former MP David Taylor in 1997 had been relatively safe for Labour but it has become a marginal and the Tories will be pleased to take it.