General Election 2019: Gillingham and Rainham result live
21:45, 12 December 2019
updated: 06:09, 13 December 2019
- Rehman Chishti retains his seat and increases his majority
- The Conservative polled 61.3% of the vote
- The turnout this year was 62.68%.
After weeks of campaigning, voters have now decided who they want to represent them in parliament following the first December General Election since 1923.
There were seven candidates on the ballot paper in Gillingham and Rainham - and Rehman Chishti has retained his seat.
Follow our live blog for details on the results across Kent as they come in.
Follow our reporters Matt Leclere and Katie May Nelson on Twitter as they bring news from the Medway count.
You can follow them on Twitter.
LIVE
5am
And that's all folks - full reaction across the county is on the KentOnline homepage and we'll have a full story on the night on the Medway page.
4.37am
RESULT
Rehman Chishti retains Gillingham and Rainham with a huge share of the vote at 61.3%
Alan Bullion (Lib Dem) 2503
Peter Cook (Ind) 229
Rob McCulloch Martin (Ukip) 837
Roger Peacock (CPA) 119
George Salomon (Green) 1043
Andy Stamp (Lab) 13054
4am
Meanwhile, the snacks are keeping us going
3.40am
3am
Here's the picture across Kent so far
2.40am
Cllr Andy Stamp (Lab) says Brexit dominated during his campaign in Gillingham and Rainham.
The ward councillor Gillingham North said: "Clearly there was an underlying issue and that was Brexit, that has been the dominant feature of this election and that's ultimately decided the outcome of this election despite their concerns about the NHS, despite their concerns about education, despite the fact that record numbers of people are having to use foodbanks, the number of rough sleepers has more than doubled over the last nine years, the fact that record numbers of children are living in poverty.
"All of those issues are still there regardless of whether Brexit was an issue or not."
2.30am
This year's turnout for Gillingham and Rainham has just been returned. It is lower than in 2017, when it was 66.9%.
2am
Anna McGovern, chair of Medway Youth Council, says climate change has been top of the agenda for young people voting in this year's election.
She said: "In a recent national ballot for young people called Make Your Mark, 40% of young people in Medway prioritise climate change as something they want to be put forward as a national campaign."
The 18 year old recently spoke to KentOnline about young people's role in politics.
1.40am
WATCH: Alan Bullion, candidate for the Liberal Democrats in Gillingham and Rainham
Alan Bullion, who is contesting the Gillingham and Rainham seat, says Brexit isn't the only thing people have been raising their concerns about this election.
1.15am
Hearing it's going to be a long night here with verification still taking place, but...
WATCH: Cllr Tristan Osbourne speaks about Labour's prospects after tonight
Cllr Tristan Osbourne (Lab), who represents Luton and Wayfield, says in response tonight's exit poll - which predicts 191 seats for Labour - that the results are a "a warning message.
"Labour has lost momentum. It is losing ground in many areas of the north and west midlands.
"There's a whole agenda here and the party really needs to review why we have lost this election what messages we need to be re-focussing (on) and really look at our agenda where we have failed over the last four years."
Mr Osbourne will be among guests on the KMTV sofa later this morning.
12.30am
To see who was elected in Gillingham and Rainham in 2017, click here.
