The Greens are celebrating success in the new, cross-border seat of Waveney Valley, after Adrian Ramsay became its first MP.

The Greens had targeted the constituency, which includes Diss, Harleston and Bunwell in Norfolk and Bungay and Eye in Suffolk.

Adrian RamsayAdrian Ramsay (Image: Paul Geater)

Mr Ramsay is co-leader of the Green Party nationally and a former Norwich city councillor.

He beat his Conservative rival Richard Rout, deputy leader of Suffolk County Council, with a majority of 5,593.

Mr Ramsay garnered 20,467 votes to Mr Rout's 14,874. Former BBC presenter Scott Huggins, standing for Reform UK, was in third place.

Mr Ramsay said his party had "made history" in winning four seats.

He said: "I feel truly humbled by the level of support – people have enthusiastically voted Green in Waveney Valley.

"We have offered a positive alternative for people, and I’ve been clear that I will be an active and visible local MP first and foremost, but also pressing this new government to be bolder, whether that is on the action needed to defend our environment or the action needed to restore our public services.”

Richard RoutRichard Rout (Image: Richard Rout)

One of the big issues on the doorstep during the election campaign was National Grid's plans to build pylons over part of the constituency.

Issues such as the state of high streets in market towns, sewage in rivers and access to NHS dentists also loomed large during the campaign.

The Greens had been hopeful of winning given the party's success in local elections.

The party leads Mid Suffolk and East Suffolk councils, while Catherine Rowett - who stood in South Norfolk - recently won a Norfolk County Council by-election in West Depwade, within the Waveney Valley constituency.

Liberal Democrat candidate John Shreeve suffered the indignity of his party's former North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb urging the public to vote for Green candidate Mr Ramsay.

Norwich-born Mr Ramsay, a University of East Anglia graduate, was just 21 when he became a Norwich city councillor.

He represented Henderson ward and Nelson ward during his City Hall stint between 2003 and 2011 and 

The University of East Anglia graduate became a city councillor at the age of 21 and had a spell as leader of the Green group at City Hall.

Mr Rout said: the Green Party had "fought this like a by-election".

He added: “It was a disappointing night, but we saw on the ground the amount of effort the Greens were putting in, the resource, the amount of funding, and we knew the polls nationally weren’t reflecting the true picture on the ground, so we knew we were up against it.

“Although I think we did far more here than many Conservative colleagues did across the county and indeed country, under a sea of Green leaflets it perhaps felt like less.”

The results were:

Adrian Ramsay (G) 20,467

Richard Rout (C) 14,874

Scott Huggins (Reform UK) 7,749

Gurpreet Padda (L) 4,621

John Shreeve (LD) 1,214

Maya Severyn (SDP) 118

Majority: 5,593