LIBERAL Democrat Richard Younger-Ross has conceded he has little chance of winning the Newton Abbot seat.

The former MP arrived at the racecourse count after 3am having earlier been 'relaxing' in a nearby hotel room. With the Conservatives predicted nationally to increase their share of the vote, and the Lib Dems expected to fall from 57 seats to 10, Mr Younger-Ross thought he was unlikely to be elected.

'It's not a good night for the party,' he said. 'We're heading for one of our worst nights for some time. But I remember my first election in 1970 and the party was decimated, it lost half its seats. But ten years after we were challenging for power again so things turn around.'

Asked why he thought his party had fared so badly this year he said the message of The Lib Dems providing political balance had failed to reach the electorate.

'The message in this campaign just wasn't a strong one,' he said. 'I don't think we're going to take the Newton Abbot seat back tonight but I would predict it will come again.'

Mr Younger-Ross opted not to predict if he would take more votes than UKIP or Labour but said: 'It's very early on but I remember my first ever count and thought I was going to do disastrously but then they opened up the Ashburton box and all was light and calm again and we improved our position.'

When pointed out to Mr Younger-Ross that Ashburton was now in the Central Devon seat he said: 'Well this is true. There'll be other seats where we'll do well.'