Northumberland ballot counters come a close second in the race to declare first, with Blyth and Ashington declaring second

The result for Blyth and Ashington was declared second, closely after Houghton and Sunderland South.

Election administrator Bill Crawford, who led Sunderland’s rapid counts for years before helping run Newcastle’s speedy counts, was involved in Northumberland this election, helping organise the count at Blyth Sports Centre.

Sunderland had been the quickest to declare at every general election between 1992 and 2015, with Newcastle coming out on top in 2017 and 2019.

Blyth Valley, now abolished and split between the Blyth and Ashington and Cramlington and Killingworth constituencies, had been in the running to declare first in 2019 before the election went to a recount.

Gateshead Central and Whickham had been an outside tip to declare first this year, as had Tynemouth.

The fastest ever general election declaration was in Sunderland South in 2001, which declared at 10.43pm.

Ian Lavery was elected for the Labour Party in Blyth and Ashington with 20,030 votes. Reform UK’s Mark Peart came second with 10,857 and Tory candidate Maureen Levy came third with 6,121.