Three blue successes

The Tory backbencher was delighted with his win, but said the "patchiness" of results at national level pointing to increasing disillusionment among the public with both politicians and the political system.

Repeating his call for an end to the "yah-boo" politics, a common theme of Mr Gibb's last term at Westminster, the MP said: "We have to have a new style of politics in which the opposition will support the Government when they agree with their policies."

Labour's George O'Neill maintained Labour's second place behind Mr Gibb, with the Liberal Democrats's Simon McDougall third and UKIP's Adrian Lithgow more than doubling his party's vote to save his deposit, in fourth place.

The turnout was around four per cent higher than in 2001, at 62.5 per cent.

ARUNDEL and South Downs has elected Conservative Nick Herbert as its new MP.

Mr Herbert gained 24,752 votes, nearly one thousand more than his

predecessor Howard Flight.

The result was announced at 5.20am this morning

Mr Herbert said: "I'm delighted to have been elected with a good majority.

I'm extremely grateful for the support I have received from my association

but also for the welcome I have recieved from members of the public.

"I was helped hugely by the fact Howard Flight very generously endorsed me

as the candidate. He stepped aside which I think is the honourable thing to

do.

"I think I must have had the shortest campaign of any parliamentary

candidate. I had less than four weeks to get round a very large constituency and there are obviously many more people that I need now to meet to discuss

local issues with.

"What I want to be is a good constituency MP and take up people's concerns,

represent local people and be a strong voice at Westminster for them."

Liberal Democrat Derek Deedman came second in the poll with 13,443 votes and

Labour's Sharon Whitlam came third with 8,482.

UKIP's Andrew Moffat gained 2,700 votes while the Protest Vote Party's only candidate in this general election, Mark Stack, gained 313.

Turnout for the election was 69.12 per cent.

VETERAN Tory MP Peter Bottomley kept his Worthing West seat with a majority of more than 9,000.

The Conservative parliamentary candidate secured another four years in Westminster after an easy win last night (Thursday).

Mr Bottomley, a former minister, won 21,383 votes, 47 per cent of the total cast. Turnout this year was 62 per cent. Liberal Democrat candidate Claire Potter came second with 12,004 votes, 26.7 per cent of the vote.

Mr Bottomley thanked voters, fellow candidates and The Herald and Gazette for its coverage in a fairly contested fight.

He said: "It was a very decent campaign. We can all take pride in giving people a real choice. The turnout has been improved on previous years and the majority is just as good.

"People sometimes criticised the media but nobody can complain that their coverage has been biased and I look forward to serving another term."

Mr Bottomley's wife, former MP Virginia, held her husband's hand as his margin was announced to an expectant crowd at the Assembly Hall in Stoke Abbott Road.

She said: "At Westminster, Peter is known for his integrity and independence over and beyond party politics. I am pleased people understand the importance of Parliament and the significance of protecting our democracy. Peter is a great campaigner for that."

Mr Bottomley kept his seat in 2001 with 47.5 per cent of the vote with the Liberal Democrats coming second with 26.5 per cent.

Conservative majority: 9,379

Results:

Littlehampton and Bognor

Nick Gibb (Con), 18183

Adrian Lithgow (UKIP) 3,276

Simon McDougall (LibDem) 8,927

George O'Neill 10,361.

Arundel and South Downs

Nick Herbert (Con) 24,752, 49.8 per cent.

Derek Deedman (Lib Dem) 13,443, 27.1 per cent.

Sharon Whitlam (Lab) 8,482, 17.1 per cent.

Andrew Moffat (UKIP) 2,700, 5.4 per cent.

Worthing West

Peter Bottomley, Conservative 21,383, 47.6 per cent

Claire Potter, Liberal Democrat 12,004 26.7, per cent

Antony Bignell, Labour 8,630 19.2, per cent.

Timothy Cross, UK Independence Party 2,374, 5.3 per cent

Chris Baldwin, LCA, 550, 1.2 per cent.

All the results, including those from the county council election, can be found under the News, General Election 2005 headings at the top of this page.