JESSICA Morden won her fifth General Election battle for Labour in Newport East - but her majority was slashed from more than 8,000 to less than 2,000.

Active before the General Election was called in the campaign to save the Orb Electrical Steels plant in her constituency from closure, Ms Morden vowed in the aftermath of the result announcement to take up the issue again when the new Parliament convenes.

"This has been a difficult election but I am looking forward to getting back to work as soon as possible, not least to work to save the Orb steelworks, which this city very much needs," she said.

"It is a huge honour and privilege to represent this constituency and I will continue to do so tirelessly."

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Newport East had been by far the safer of Labour's two seats in Newport, but a strong campaign by the Conservatives and their candidate Mark Brown made this contest much more of a close-run thing than predicted.

Mr Brown looked gutted as the result was made known to the candidates ahead of the public announcement, as his campaign team sought to accentuate the positives of a very creditable effort.

Brexit Party candidate Julie Price came a distant third. It is difficult to estimate - as with the situation in Newport West - how many of her 2,454 votes might have gone to the Conservatives had she not stood, given that this was a leave-voting city in the 2016 referendum.

Difficult too, to gauge whether this would have tipped the balance, though it is probable the result would have been even closer than the 1,992 majority Ms Morden ultimately secured.

Turnout was 62.1 per cent.

FULL RESULT:

Jessica Morden (Labour): 16,125 (44.4 per cent)

Mark Brown (Conservative): 14,133 (39 per cent)

Julie Price (Brexit Party): 2,454 (6.8 per cent)

Mike Hamilton (Liberal Democrat): 2,121 (5.8 per cent)

Cameron Wixcey (Plaid Cymru): 872 (2.4 per cent)

Peter Varley (Green Party): 577 (1.6 per cent)

Labour majority - 1,992

Turnout - 62.1 per cent