THERESA May’s gamble of an early election may have backfired nationally, but the Conservatives increased their majority in both Powys constituencies.

Both Chris Davies and Glyn Davies held their seats in Brecon and Radnorshire, and Montgomeryshire respectively.

Chris received 20,081 votes, an increase of 3,628 on the 2015 result.

Taking the victory, Chris thanked his supporters, family and friends.

He said: “I would also like to thank Powys Police for the way they have kept us safe tonight. I would also like to thank the other candidates for standing up for what they believe in.

“I would also like to thank my team and agents who have worked tirelessly throughout the campaign.

“I am very pleased to have an increased majority in Brecon and Radnorshire. It is an enormous privilege and so very humbling,” he added.

“Brecon and Radnorshire has only re-elected a Conservative MP once before and that was 35 years ago.

“That we have been re-elected with other 20,000 is amazing.”

The last Conservative MP to be re-elected in Brecon and Radnorshire was Tom Hooson in 1983.

Chasing Chris was James Gibson-Watt of the Liberal Democrats who received 12,043, an increase on 11,351 from 2015 for the party.

Then it was Dan Lodge of Labour with 7,335 votes, also an increase on 2015 when Labour’s Matthew Dorrance received 5,904.

Plaid Cymru had a small decrease as Kate Heneghan received 1,299, a drop of 468 for the party.

Yet the biggest losers of the night were UKIP as candidate Peter Gilbert received 576 votes, a decrease of 2,762.

Brecon and Radnorshire historically has a strong turn out for elections and 2017 was no different as 74 per cent of the electorate had their say, an increase of 0.2 percent on 2015.

There was also a big turnout in Montgomeryshire, with 71.82 per cent of the electorate voting.

18,075 of these re-elected Conservative Glyn Davies.

Trailing behind were Liberal Democrats’ Jane Dodds with 8,790 and Labour’s Iwan Wyn Jones with 5,542.

The youngest candidate across Powys, Aled Morgan Hughes, of Plaid Cymru, took a respectable 1,960 in his first general election, while Richard Chaloner of the Wales Green Party received 524.

n Despite success in Mid-Wales, nationally the Conservatives have been left to pick up the pieces as not only did they fail to increase their seats, they lost the required majority of 326 seats.

Left with a hung Parliament, Prime Minister Theresa May has gone into talks with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) who gained two seats.

This means there will be a minority Conservative government supported by the 10 DUP members of Parliament.

The DUP support Brexit, so it is unlikely they will oppose how Mrs May negotiates Britain’s departure from the European Union.