Labour holds Birmingham as Mitchell wins Sutton

Labour has held all of its seats in Birmingham at the general election, as Tony Blair won a second landslide victory across the country.

The only change in the city came in Sutton Coldfield, where the Conservative Andrew Mitchell was elected to replace Sir Norman Fowler, who has stood down after 27 years as the town's MP.

Labour dominant

Labour's candidates were returned in all ten of its Birmingham seats, from Edgbaston and Selly Oak in the south to Erdington and Perry Barr in the north. Majorities were reduced in some places, but no seat changed hands.

In Yardley, Estelle Morris held on for Labour, although the Liberal Democrats, led locally by John Hemming, cut her majority. Morris has been appointed Education Secretary in the new cabinet, making her one of the most senior Birmingham politicians in government.

In Ladywood, Clare Short, the International Development Secretary, was comfortably re-elected. In Northfield, which includes the Longbridge car plant, Richard Burden held his seat, with the future of MG Rover a key issue in the campaign.

A low turnout

One of the most striking features of the election was the low turnout. Nationally, fewer than six in ten people voted, the lowest turnout since 1918. In some inner-city seats in Birmingham, the proportion who voted was even lower.

Politicians of all parties have expressed concern about the figures, and there have been calls for new ways to encourage people to vote, including postal voting and voting over several days.

The national picture

Labour won a majority of well over 160 seats, almost as large as its landslide in 1997. The Conservatives, led by William Hague, made almost no progress, and Hague has announced that he will stand down as party leader.

The Liberal Democrats, under Charles Kennedy, gained seats and increased their share of the vote.

Mitchell's return

Andrew Mitchell is no stranger to the Commons. He was MP for Gedling in Nottinghamshire from 1987 to 1997, and served as a minister in John Major's government, before losing his seat in Labour's landslide.

Sutton Coldfield is one of the safest Conservative seats in the country, and Mitchell's victory was never in doubt. He succeeds Sir Norman Fowler, a former cabinet minister under Margaret Thatcher who served as Transport, Social Services and Employment Secretary.

What it means for Birmingham

With a Labour government returned for a second term, Birmingham's MPs will be pressing ministers to deliver on promises of investment in schools, hospitals and transport.

The city's big projects, including the new Bullring and the regeneration of Eastside, will depend on continued support from government and private investors.

For voters, the result means more of the same, with Labour firmly in control both nationally and in Birmingham's parliamentary seats.