The re-elected MP for Beverley and Holderness, Graham Stuart, says he is "ready to start the fight back" after holding on to his longstanding seat by just 124 votes.

After the official result was announced in Beverley at 6.30am on Thursday morning - following the full recount of votes due to a technicality - the former energy minister took to the stage to thank his campaign team and family for their support during what he said was a "catastrophic night" for the Conservative Party.

The MP, who has served the constituency since 2005, assured those present at the count that the party will "learn from [their] mistakes" and that they "will be back".

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He declared: "We will learn from our mistakes. We've been hurt by the posture of Nigel Farage and his offering of simple solutions to complex problems, but we will not be destroyed by them. We will rebuild based on our values, be it enterprise, family, freedom and the individual. We will be back."

The full number of votes for Mr Stuart was 15,501, while the figure for Labour candidate Margaret Pinder was announced as 15,377.

Graham was full of praise for his campaigning team

Sharing his thoughts with Hull Live following the super close result, Graham said: "I'm feeling ecstatic. It was horribly close, and we were here for hours. I'm just so grateful to those people who went round delivering my leaflets in so many rural hamlets. It's such hard work.

"There's no glamour in it, and yet they all went out day after day, even against the backdrop of what has been a pretty catastrophic night for the Conservatives nationally. And yet, here I am, returned once again in Beverley and Holderness, and ready to start the fight back.

When asked about his initial thoughts when the recount was announced, he continued: "I'm always an optimist, so I'd liked to think I was going to come through, but that's the great thing about a democracy - people put you there and then they can throw you out again, that's the joy of our system.

Graham Stuart has been the MP for Beverley & Holderness since 2005

"I think our first past the post system is exactly the right one and if I'd lost, I'd have had to grin and bear it and have to pull myself together and go and find something else to do.

"As it is, I'm going to continue to work hard for people here in this rural constituency, and it's one of the greatest parts of the world. When I knock on doors and people are strong Labour, they're still pretty nice, and you can tell that in this hall. All the parties are contesting it, and yet people are treating each other with respect.

"Everyone has behaved well in this campaign and it's been a privilege to be part of it, and even better, of course, to win."