LABOUR’S James Osben has pledged to put the young people in Newton Abbot first if he is successful in bagging himself a seat in Parliament.

Nurse James has spent the last several weeks on the campaign train in a bid to sway the Newton Abbot voters to back him and help him pinch the seat from Tory Anne Marie Morris – who is standing for re-election.

Talking at the count – held in the town’s leisure centre – about what he would deliver for his constituents if elected as MP he said: ‘People could expect decent pay, a reduction in poverty, a reduction in homelessness and an improvement in life quality.’

He also vowed to bring forward his party’s pledge of scrapping university fees because he believed in ‘putting young people at the forefront because they are the future and the world is their future’.

The politics ‘newbie’ – who has no experience in the environment – said he has had a great time getting out and about meeting residents. He said: ‘ It has been a really amazing experience.

‘There have been so many positive responses from people when knocking on doors and at the polling station today.

‘There have been so many positive comments on Facebook and email too, it is really encouraging.

‘We have had a really positive campaign.

‘It has all been about the policies and a message of hope and bringing about change that really matters – a change the country needs at the moment,’ he said.

If Mr Osben was unsuccessful in bagging a seat at the Westminster table he said he wouldn’t mind dipping his toe into local politics and look at standing for town council and Teignbridge district council.