Janet's majority increases nine-fold

RED-HOT Janet Anderson swept to a storming victory as she strengthened her grip on Rossendale and Darwen.

The mother-of-three easily fought off the challenge of Tory Trisha Buzzard by increasing her majority from a slender 120 to 10,949.

As many voters surprisingly snubbed the polling booths, Mrs Anderson, 47, turned what was the closest Labour marginal in the country into a seemingly safe seat.

Afterwards, as she hugged husband Vince and children David, James and Katie, she spoke of her "double whammy" of local and national success and how 18 years of Tory Government had blighted people in her constituency.

Mrs Anderson, the Shadow Minister for Women, said: "How can we forget the misery that has been caused in the valley of Rossendale and the town of Darwen during the past 18 years. People have been coming to my constituency surgeries and complaining how Tory policies have led to low pay, poor working conditions and job insecurity.

"Families have not known from one week to the next where their money is going to come from.

"One woman who needed a knee operation told me she could not get it on the NHS and had to pay £2,000 to go private. The operation failed and she had to pay another £7,000 to have remedial work.

"That is not the sort of story I want to hear.

"I look forward to doing something to improve the health service, the state of schools and to bring jobs to the constituency.

"I want to give families real hope."

She thanked her party workers for helping her to secure a "magnificent victory." Mrs Anderson, who ousted Tory stalwart David Trippier in 1992 to become the constituency's first woman MP, also paid tribute to the voters for putting their faith in her.

She said it was an "enormous privilege" to serve for another five years.

The victory, a swing from Conservative to Labour of 10.65 per cent, came despite a 10 per cent fall in the turnout - 73.4 per cent compared to 83.08 per cent five years ago.

A dejected Mrs Buzzard, a legal executive, said: "We have seen democracy in action and we have witnessed a swing to Labour.

"Pendulums do swing and I wonder how long it will be before we see the cost to the country of a Labour government."

Teacher Brian Dunning gained 5,435 votes for the Liberal Democrats, almost 2,000 less than 1992.

Roy Newstead, representing the Referendum Party, scooped 1108 votes, while Andrew Wearden got 674 for the British National Party.

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