RETURNING MP Andrew Smith thanked his seriously ill wife Val after he won his seventh General Election race.

He held the Oxford East seat for the Labour Party after getting 25,356 votes, a clear majority of 50 per cent.

Mrs Smith has been staying at Sobell House Hospice for more than two weeks after battling cancer for several months.

Speaking to a cheering audience at Oxford Town Hall, Mr Smith said: “Given the gravity of Val’s health, this has been emotionally a very difficult campaign for me.

“I’m very grateful for the spirit and the support which people of all parties have shown at this time. I’d like to thank each and every one of my opponents for their understanding.”

His voice broke as he said: “Most of all I want to thank Val, without whom everything I have achieved in politics would not have been possible. Thank you, Val, the dream lives on.”

Speaking to the Oxford Mail he added: “I’ve been really touched and heartened by the enormous number of messages I’ve had from constituents, including people who do not necessarily support me politically.

“The way my opponents and their supporters have fought their campaign, it’s been a good spirit, a supportive spirit.

“There is an important message here; at a time when political argument and differences and principles quite rightly divide us, there is a common humanity that unites us.

“I found that heartening and I know Val would too.”

Conservative candidate Melanie Magee came second with 10,076 votes, or 20 per cent.

Supported by her father at the event, she said she was “absolutely ecstatic” with the result.

The Cherwell district councillor for Bicester North added: “We’ve proved we are back and it proves clearly we have a really good amount of supporters out there.”

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In the 2010 election, the Tories came third with 18.8 per cent of the votes for candidate Edward Argar.

While the turnout percentage increased by 1.8 per cent to a total of 64.4 per cent, the number of registered voters dropped by 2,925.

In 2010 there were 51,651 votes, compared to 50,824 on Thursday, meaning a decrease of 827 votes.

Green Party candidate Ann Duncan, who came third with 5,890 votes, said she was “appalled” at the drop. She said: “I’m completely against what was done in the changes to voter registration. It was unnecessary and another kick in the shins for democracy. We are losing our democratic rights in so many ways, we need to stand up and reclaim them.”

But it was not a concern for Liberal Democrat candidate Alasdair Murray, who saw the party fall from second place with 33.6 per cent of the votes in 2010 to fourth place with just 11 per cent this week.

He said: “Clearly registration has been a problem, this is the first time under the new system, but it’s only down by 800. I don’t think that’s disastrous.”

Majority: 15,280 Spoiled ballots: 155 Turnout: 64.4 per cent