DESPITE all the talk of a neck-and-neck battle for South Swindon, in the end it was a comfortable victory for Conservative incumbent Robert Buckland.

Both parties campaigned hard in the constituency but in the end, it was the Tory who won, increasing his majority to almost 6,000.

It capped a good night for the Conservatives in Swindon after the party also won in the north and gained more seats in the council chamber.

The importance of the seat was demonstrated by the attention received during the election campaign, with the Conservatives launching their manifesto at the University Technical College and their Labour rivals sending the likes of leader Ed Miliband and shadow chancellor Ed Balls to the town.

Speaking after the vote, Mr Buckland said he would work hard alongside his colleague in North Swindon, Justin Tomlinson, to continue what had been started.

He said: “I am elated but I’m also really humbled by the fact the people of South Swindon have put their trust in me and given me a majority of almost 6,000.

“It is a vindication [of what] I have put in and want to put in for the people of Swindon.

“They have a right to expect their MPs to work hard and me and Justin work as a team. We live in the town, we love the town and we want to make it better.”

South Swindon was one of the key targets for Labour and while much of the campaign was fought in a good-nature, animosity between Mr Buckland and Labour candidate Anne Snelgrove showed when the two shared heated words on the stage during addresses after the result was announced.

Mrs Snelgrove, standing in the third Swindon election, conceded that the people of South Swindon had spoken but would not say if she was going to stand again.

She said: “I am very disappointed on a personal level but also from the point of view of the very many people who wanted to see a Labour government and Labour MP.

“I know they will be bitterly disappointed and I am sorry to have let them down. I’m very for my party who were so enthusiastic and backed me to the hilt.

“But that’s democracy and many more people want Robert than me so we will have to see how the next few years pan out.”

The general electionkey battle witnessedwhich brought the nation’s media to see the outcome, clearly triggered the imagination of the electorate as there was a turnout of 66.9 per cent, the highest since 1997.

While none of the other parties expected to bring a victory, candidates were focusing on the positives after the vote was counted and were keen to congratulate the victor.

UKIP candidate John Short said: “Robert and Justin have done themselves proud and I want to congratulate them both on all their hard work.

“UKIP is only going to get stronger and better as we go along.”

And Liberal Democrat Damon Hooton said: “I want to congratulate Robert on winning as well as Anne, Talis and John for an interesting debate. Our logo is a bird and we will rise again.”

For the Green Party candidate Talis Kimberley-Fairbourn thought it had been a strong night for party and paid tribute to those who helped her.

She said: “Thank you to the fantastic team behind me, I couldn’t have asked for a better set of colleagues.”