Cambridge is one of just 22 gained seats for Labour this morningSimon Lock

Labour candidate Daniel Zeichner was elected MP for Cambridge this morning, with the party also  maintaining its control of Cambridge City Council. The incumbent Liberal Democrat MP, Dr Julian Huppert, was one of 49 Lib Dem MPs who lost their seats.

Mr Zeichner won a majority of just 599 votes, overturning Huppert’s 6,792 majority in 2010. He is the first Labour politician to win this seat since Anne Campbell in 2001.

Standing for the Cambridge constituency for the second time, he said it as a “huge privilege and heavy responsibility” to represent the people of Cambridge.

“I will always listen closely and seriously and do my best to uphold the tradition of excellent MPs in our city.”

Following his defeat, Dr Huppert stated that it had been a “huge honour to represent my home for the last five years”. He raised concerns about the potential excesses of a Conservative majority administration when not reined in by Liberal Democrat coalition partners.

Labour has so far got 26 fewer seats than in 2010, and the party’s vote collapsed in Scotland where the SNP have won 56 seats, up from just 6 at the last General Election. The Conservatives have now gained 22 seats, as Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to lead a majority Conservative government, which the exit polls did not predict.

With 9 seats to declare, David Cameron is expected to visit Buckingham Palace later today to ask for the Queen’s permission to form a government.

@JPRobbo