GEOFFREY Clifton-Brown will reign for another five years in the Cotswolds after flattening his opponents to give the Conservatives an absolute majority in Westminster.

His win of 32,045 votes was announced at 12.45pm to a crowd of tired yet jubilant supporters at the Cotswold Leisure Centre in Cirencester. 

Mr Clifton-Brown fought off charges from county councillor Paul Hodgkinson and Ukip’s new-kid-on-the-block Chris Harlow, who posted 10,568 and 6,188 votes respectively. 

Penny Burgess of the Green Party registered 2,626 votes and Manjinder Kang of Labour 5,240. 

Mr Clifton-Brown paid tribute to the polling staff and his opponents, particularly Penny Burgess who couldn't be there for work.

“This is a particularly historic day as the Conservative Party currently has 325 seats but needs 326 seats to become an absolute majority,” he said to applause.

“We believe the Cotswolds constituency has given us that majority.”

By 3am Mr Clifton-Brown was enjoying a glass of wine with friends and supporters while his opponents sought to count the votes coming out of the ballot boxes. 

The Cotswolds’ new MP was so confident that he spent part of May 7 campaigning in Cheltenham instead of his own constituency. 

The turnout of the election was 57,000 people or 72.6 per cent of the electorate, up from 71.5 per cent five years ago but less than this year at Stroud at 75.5 per cent.

The count for the constituency was originally predicted to be announced at around 4am but was eventually pushed back to 1pm.

At 5.30am, Mr Clifton-Brown said: "When I was first elected and I had my first interview with the Wilts and Glos Standard, I was asked 'do you have enough stamina for the job?' I think I've proved that I've got enough stamina for the job."

On the results coming in nationally he said he was "amazed": "If you told me a few days ago we would have won by a 5,000 majority in Stroud and 6,500 in Cheltenham I wouldn't have believed you.”

Paul Hodgkinson staged a strong campaign but was in the end part of a disappointing Lib Dem show which saw all former cabinet members lose their seats except Nick Clegg. 

“Obviously we’ve had a difficult time nationally, but it’s looking like we’ve been able to pull off a really good second place locally,” Mr Hodgkinson said.

“I’m disappointed personally but that’s politics and you bounce back. I’m still a county councillor and I am still going to carry on working hard.

“We are going to be a really strong and vocal opposition.”

Paul said he was shocked as the results starting coming in, but said that was the price they had paid for being in a coalition with the Conservatives.

When his result was announced there was rapturous applause from the assembled Lib Dems.

Chris Harlow left disappointed with his showing in the election but said that his party now had a strong foothold in the constituency. 

He had hoped to take the second spot away from Paul Hodgkinson but was unable to on the day. 

The party has won almost 13 per cent of the vote and yet have only secured one seat in Westminster, which Chris said was proof that the “electoral system is broken”.

The SNP have 56 seats in Westminster despite managing just 4.9 per cent, or around 1.5million, of the votes. 

Mr Harlow said: “When it’s over each of Ukip’s seats may have cost a million votes, compared to something like 30,000 for each SNP.”

The bookies consistently had Mr Harlow at level pegging with Mr Hodgkinson.

Penny Burgess was pleased with the Green Party’s showing.

“We’ve worked really really hard,” she said. “We’re a small team and we are just starting out. It’s early days for us but we will be even bigger next time.

She also said they would “fight on” and continue to grow their presence in the Cotswolds, beginning with officially starting the Cotswolds Green Party, which up until now had been part of the Stroud office. 

Labour’s Manjinder Kang's votes dropped from slightly from the 5,886 recorded by Mark Dempsey in 2010. 

He said he’d consider standing in the Cotswolds again and that it had been a long, hard fought campaign. 

"It's been difficult at times but it's been a breath of fresh air," Mr Kang said. "It's always good to give people another option.”

The Conservatives also registered victories in North Wiltshire, Stroud, Cheltenham and Gloucester.