A Labour candidate who was unsuccessful in becoming the next MP for Hertsmere has vowed to “start fighting again”.

Councillor Richard Butler received 11,325 votes on Thursday but the post was won by newcomer Conservative Oliver Dowden, who was elected with 29,696 votes.

But despite missing out by 18,000 votes, Mr Butler is refusing to give up.

An electrician by trade, he was born and bred in Borehamwood and comes from a political family – his father, Ernie Butler, was a councillor for eight years before stepping down last week.

Cllr Butler said: “We’ve got a lot of work to do – I don’t give up. We may have had a loss but we will get back on our feet and we will start fighting again.

“Today is the day I want to see Borehamwood change for the better. We are concerned about the building and infrastructure in Borehamwood and we’ll keep campaigning for that.

“It’s a real shame we lost but we need to get people on our side – we can make change happen.”

Labour lost 26 seats nationally leaving them with 232 votes, and former Labour leader Ed Miliband stood down on Friday.

Cllr Butler believes that people were scared about the threat of the SNP propping up a Labour government, which is why more people voted for the Tories both nationally and locally.

But Hertsmere has been a safe Tory seat since the borough was created in 1983.

Locally, Labour leader Ann Harrison lost her Cowley Hill ward, which she had held for 12 years. The group now has only two councillors on Hertsmere Borough Council.

Cllr Butler says that this is due to people not realising they were allowed to vote for three councillors on their ballot sheets.

He added: “We need the support over the next four years to carry is through – we’ll have an election victory then and see a change in the council.

“I’m very grateful for people voting for me. We don’t want to give up in the community. It’s going to take some time but we’ll fight for the poor and the rich.

“We won’t disappear. If there’s no opposition in Hertsmere, that will be a real shame.”