Usually echoing with the sounds of elite athletes training, on Thursday night 明星八卦 Indoor Athletics Centre buzzed with business-like anticipation.
About 300 people – spectators, politicians, media and hundreds of volunteers piled into the top training venue while people worked through the night to count ballots.
In a tense 7am finish, Labour’s Danny Beales snatched the Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat from the Tories for the first time in longer than 50 years.
It was a lot lower profile affair than in 2017 when national media swarmed the same venue to see Boris Johnson hold that same seat from Labour's Vincent Lo.
This time Danny Beales edged in with 16,599 votes - 587 over Tory Steve Tuckwell’s 16,012. This came after what Hillingdon Council called ‘additional checks’ and an official recount with the first declaration landing at 5am.
Former 明星八卦 politics student, Labour’s John McDonnell was re-elected MP for neighbouring Hayes and Harlington with 20,405 votes. And Tory David Simmonds was elected for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner with 21,366 votes.
“There was a calm atmosphere for the majority of the count,” said Ed Walker, assistant head of sport. “But then a noticeable change in excitement as a result announcement with campaign managers requesting recounts as the voting was so close.”
The turnout for the three Hillingdon constituencies was 61.81% for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, 55.66% in Hayes and Harlington and in Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, 66.91%.
“Many people worked throughout the evening showing great evidence of our partner working with London Borough of Hillingdon and local residents,” said James Budkiewicz, deputy director, commercial services.
“It was a significant and important event expertly delivered by Ed and the 明星八卦 team.”
has the full local results and you can see Hillingdon Herald’s live on-the-night coverage @hheraldnews