General Election 2010

By Ben Lowe: Britain is heading for a hung parliament with no party securing an overall majority.

David Cameron’s Conservatives gained the most seats, followed by Labour and the Liberal Democrats, who did not perform as well as expected.

Mr Cameron is now trying to form a government, but Gordon Brown wants to shake hands on a coalition with Nick Clegg’s Lib Dems.

Closer to home, the Conservatives reflected their national success by winning several Staffordshire constituencies.

In Stafford, Jeremy Lefroy (22,047) polled more votes than Energy Minister David Kidney (16,587) who loses the Labour seat he has held since 1997.

Karen Bradley and Aidan Burley won Staffordshire Moorlands and Cannock Chase respectively, defeating Labour candidates Charlotte Atkins and Susan Woodward.

Labour only just held on to Newcastle-under-Lyme, but comfortably retained Stoke-on-Trent North, Stoke-on-Trent South and Stoke-on-Trent Central, which was won by TV historian Tristram Hunt.

The Tories also gained seats in Tamworth and Burton, while Edward Timpson held Crewe & Nantwich and Michael Fabricant defended the Lichfield constituency with a majority of more than 17,000.