JULIAN Sturdy has called on the Conservative party to focus on the country and refrain from "squabbling" over Theresa May's position as leader, after he backed her to carry on as Prime Minister.

Mr Sturdy was re-elected as the York Outer MP, but the Conservative has seen his majority slashed in a bruising night for the party.

- See the York Central results here

The York Outer results were confirmed at around 4.15am, and there were gasps in the counting hall as it emerged the Labour vote had soared.

Labour’s Luke Charters-Reid took 21,097 – a massive 7,700 vote increase on the party's results in 2015.

Mr Sturdy also saw his vote increase – from 26,477 to 29,356 – as the turnout in the constituency hit a record 76 per cent.

But with Labour’s vote surge, Mr Sturdy’s lead over the next party placed shrunk from 13,000 to just 8,000.

The re-elected MP said he was delighted to be heading back to Parliament, and delighted the people of York Outer had put their faith in him once again.

But he said there were certainly questions to be answered about how well the Conservatives’ national campaign had gone.

“Theresa May is looking to form a new Government and that means with some sort of support with the DUP," he said.

“Certainly with being the largest party it will fall to her to do that and it’s looking positive she will be able to.

“The most important thing for me is that we have to think of the country going forward.

“We are going through quite a difficult period with the Brexit process and it’s important we have stability in this country over this period and in Government.

“The only real option to deliver that is through a Conservative Government which is going to have to get some support from the DUP.

“Questions will have to be asked about how our national campaign was run and has been executed, because obviously it hasn’t connected with the public.”

He put his reduced majority down in part to York being a university town, and one that voted Remain - while he backed Brexit.

Mr Sturdy said he thought he had fought a positive campaign locally and blamed last night’s disastrous result on the Conservatives party’s campaign.

“I’m disappointed with how the national campaign has gone," he added.

“The national campaign didn’t engage with the public.

“It’s important now we put the national interest first and I don’t believe now is the time for internal party squabbling and naval gazing, now is the time for delivering in the national interest and I believe Theresa May will do that.

“I’m confident she will be able to form a Government and take the country forward over the coming month and through the Brexit negotiations.

Mr Sturdy has called on the party to focus on the forthcoming Brexit negotiations, which begin a week on Monday, and says he will continue to ensure his constituents’ voices are heard.

“It was a five or six week campaign and I felt it started well but didn’t really get going for the Conservative Party.

“It didn’t engage or enthuse the public and I don’t think the campaign never really got hold of any momentum at all.

“In York we fought a campaign based on local issues and I felt we were getting a good response to that, but we weren’t getting a response to the national campaign.

"As a party we should not be having internal squabbles and fights at this time.

“It’s much more important to put the national interests first.

“Locally it’s important I make sure York’s voice is heard on a national level when it comes to Brexit and how local businesses will be affected as well as support infrastructure.”

The third place in York Outer went to the Liberal Democrats’ James Blanchard, who took 5,910; while the Green party’s Bethan Vincent took 1,094 votes.