So that's it all over then. After two recounts, Martin Linton was returned as Battersea's MP for the third time.
But he was one of the hardest hit victims of the protest votes against Tony Blair's style of government. He lost almost 5,000 votes and is now the fourth[1] most vulnerable Labour party MP with a majority of only 163. The Tories will certainly have their eyes on the seat for 2009 or 2010.
It's going to be an interesting four or five years.
[1] Behind Laura Moffatt (Crawley, maj: 37), Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne and Sheppey, maj: 79) and Bill Rammell (Harlow, maj: 97)
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