THE Conservatives' Rebecca Harris has held Castle Point - holding off a challenge from former Tory MP Bob Spink who declared himself independent, despite having been elected on a Tory ticket.
Conservative Harris ousted Dr Spink, who was running for his newly formed Independent Save Our Greenbelt party, thanks to a 44% share of the vote with 19,806 votes.
Dr Spink came second with 12,174 vote and a 27% share of the vote having left the Tories back in 2008 to become an independent candidate.
Labour candidate Julian Ware-Lane placed third 6,609 votes.
Castle Point had been seen as an interesting challenge to the Conservatives' dominance as independent candidate Bob Spink looked to split the Tory vote.
Dr Spink was elected as Conservative MP for Castle Point back in 2005 but left the party in 2008 and has since run as an Independent candidate.
In March he formed the Independent Save Our Greenbelt party in a bid to prevent Tory candidate Rebecca Harris from defending what had been a Conservative seat in 2005.
Dr Spink was first elected as MP back in 1992 but Labour’s dominance of the 1997 election saw him defeated.
He returned to the Commons in 2001 with a majority of just 985 before strengthening his position in 2005 with almost half the vote and a 8,201 majority.
Rebecca Harris (Con) 19,806
Bob Spink (Ind) 12,174
Julian Ware-Lane (Lab) 6,609
Brendan D’Cruz (Lib-Dem) 4,232
Philip Howell (BNP) 2,205
Con Hold. Maj 7,632. Turnout 66.9%