Newly elected Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith has thanked his supporters after securing a nail-biting victory.

Conservative Mr Goldsmith retook the seat he held until he resigned from the party and triggered a by-election in October last year. He lost that election as an independent but on Friday morning he was returned to it as a Conservative representative once again.

In a tough battle, he beat Liberal Democrat Sarah Olney - the woman who won that by-election - by an incredibly narrow 45 votes.

Mr Goldsmith took to Facebook to share his gratitude and next steps.

He said: “I want to thank those of you who backed me in the General Election and for trusting me to represent out wonderful community again.

“There is no greater privilege.

“Obviously, the national outcome was not what I’d hoped for.

“I argued strongly that this election could come down to a handful of seats – including ours – and indeed, it did.

“The way we vote locally in Richmond Park and North Kingston has direct national implications. We saw that again on Thursday.

“On a personal level, I am truly honoured to have been given this great task again.

“Ours was the only seat in London where the Conservative achieved a gain and I am grateful to residents for helping to ensure that our Party remains in Government, albeit with a smaller mandate than I had hoped for.

“We face challenging times ahead, and the Government must now concentrate on bringing the country together, governing for everyone and listening and responding to concerns expressed at the ballot box last week.

“As your MP, I will work with the Government to stand up for all of you and the community I love.

“Thank you again.

“Zac”