General Election 2019 - Labour candidate claims her party lost the war of the 'soundbite'

She said: "We have a really good manifesto and people tell us they really like it in terms of the party stance. What separates Labour from other parties is that Labour wants a second referendum on Brexit and we are in the middle on that issue. The party has said we are keeping all options on the table, but we have lost out in the three-word soundbites like 'Get Brexit done'."

Mrs Edwards-Shea was pleased with her campaign and was excited by the number of new members and volunteers locally working right across the constituency.

She said: "I am told by long-standing Labour members that they don't know of a time when there have been as many members as there is now locally. Whatever the result tonight, it is not because we have had a bad campaign.

"We have been under no illusions about the mountain that Labour has to climb in this constituency. We have a lot of 'shy' Labour supporters with more and more people approaching us and saying this time they will vote Labour."

Mrs Edwards-Shea felt political discourse has become even more extreme in the last couple of years with a lot of angry words and she has sensed some of that locally.

She claimed Brexit has not figured highly on the doorsteps, instead conversations focusing on the NHS, particularly regarding access to services in this constituency. Housing and education has also figured strongly and access to all public services.

But she said there were many just fed up with the current political picture and politicians in general having an alleged disregard for their electorate.