Voting for the UK General Election on 4 July has taken place, and Oakham Nub News is here to take you through the evening as residents in Rutland and Stamford wait to find out who will be representing their Parliamentary Constituency.

The official Statement of Persons Nominated for the election was published by Rutland County Council on Friday 7 June and can be read online.

Candidates standing in the election are as follows:

• Emma Louise Baker – The Green Party
• Joanna Mary Burrows – Rejoin EU
• Chris Clowes – Reform UK
• Alicia Alexandra Martha Kearns – The Conservative Party Candidate
• James Robert Moore – Liberal Democrats
• Joe Wood – Labour Party

The polls closed at 10pm on 4 July, when vote counting began at Casterton College. Rutland County Council is lead authority for the Rutland and Stamford Parliamentary Constituency, which covers the whole of Rutland, as well as parts of Harborough and South Kesteven.

10:30pm - Ballot boxes begin arriving at Casterton Collage.

00:40am - RCC over half way through the verification of votes for Rutland and Stamford,

1:55am - Verification is complete and RCC confirm that they have a turnout figure of 67.92% for Rutland and Stamford. They begin the count.

5:25am - with 21,248 votes, Alicia Kearns (Con) is re-elected.

Just after 7am, it was confirmed that Labour have won a majority and look set to take landslide victory.

Rutland and Stamford remains a Conservative seat.

Congratulations to all candidates for their participation in the 2024 General Elections and good luck to Alicia Kearns, who retains her position.