NEWLY elected MP Dr James Davies returned to the House of Commons for the first sitting of parliament following the general election.

Conservative Dr Davies won back the Vale of Clwyd seat from Labour’s Chris Ruane. He secured 17,270 votes to Mr Ruane’s 15,443.

Turn out was 37, 297 - 66 per cent.

In his first interview since being elected, Dr Davies, who served as MP between 2015 and 2017, said: “I am truly grateful for the opportunity to serve the Vale of Clwyd - the only area I would ever wish to represent - at Parliament. It is an immense privilege.

“National politics has been very volatile in recent years and I see it as my first duty to help implement the democratic result of the referendum to allow our country to move forwards.”

“I had a fantastic and energetic team around me during the campaign.

“We knocked on thousands of doors and delivered tens of thousands of leaflets.

“I would like to thank all those who gave up their time to help during so many dark, cold and wet days.

“In particular, I would like to mention clr Linda Muraca, who sustained a fractured ankle while leafleting in the dark.”

The full election results were:

James Davies (Welsh Conservative) 17,270 votes; Chris Ruane 15,443; Gavin Scott (Welsh Liberal Democrats) 1,471; Peter Dain (Brexit Party) 1,477 and Glenn Swingler (Plaid Cymru) 1,552.

Rhyl Journal:

Dr James Davies (Conservative) and Chris Ruane (Labour) on election night at Denbigh Leisure Centre.

Mr Ruane has served the consistency for 22 years. He had a break of two years when Dr Davies took the seat during the election in 2015. He then took the seat back in 2017.

Dr Davies, who is married to Nina - a district nurse - and has two young sons, said: “In the last two and a half years, I have continued many of the local community work I find so rewarding. I have also been working in General Practice, including at surgeries in Rhyl and Holywell.

“This has proved very instructive to fully realise the extent of failures within the North Wales NHS and the reasons behind these.”

Dr Davies is living between Prestatyn and Chester due to his wife’s family commitments but stressed Prestatyn “is and always will be my home”.

He said he is ‘humbled’ to those that voted for him and to traditional life-long Labour voters who switched their allegiances this time.

“I am under no illusions as to how difficult this will have been for many and I am humbled by the faith they have placed in me and my party,” he added.

“I will do my utmost to prove that the agenda of the new government and of my approach locally is one that they can get behind.

“I am already at Parliament. It has been very good to meet both new and old colleagues and I’m expecting a very busy week ahead, with a vote on the Brexit Bill this Friday.”

In his speech, following the result, Mr Ruane said it had been a “clean, local fight”.

He said: "I must give a special thank you to my agent Jill, who is also my wife, and my two daughters.

"I think we have had one of the most professional campaigns in the whole of Wales.

"Thank you to my team of hundreds of volunteers who have given endless hours, days if not weeks for this campaign. It has been a clean, local fight. Not nationally.

"I have represented this constituency now for 22 years on and off. Two years off, 20 years on. It feels like deja vu all over again (2015) when James won.

"It has been a pleasure to represent the constituency, one of the most beautiful constituencies in the United Kingdom."

Dr Davies said Mr Ruane had served the constituency with 'distinction'.