A WEALTH of smaller parties entered the Witney election race with the hope of making a statement against Prime Minister David Cameron.

Out of an electorate of 79,767 people, a total of 58,670 votes were cast across a dozen different candidates.

However, the challengers failed to even make a dent into the Prime Minister’s campaign as he beat his previous vote tallies for Witney.

Green candidate Stuart Macdonald came in with 2,970 votes and summed up the mood when he said he felt the election had been “staged managed” in favour of the Conservatives.

Clive Peedell, whose National Health Action Party campaigned on the NHS ticket, secured 616 votes, but remained positive.

He said: “As this campaign has gone through we’re getting more people involved, and more and more people have heard of us.

“We’re here to stay.”

The lowest number of votes went to Independent Nathan Handley, who gained just 12 votes.

Former British women’s golfing champion Vivien Saunders, of the Reduce VAT in Sport party, wanted to highlight the disparity in levels of VAT charged by different sports clubs.

But despite her celebrity status, she only managed to secure 56 votes.

Colin Bex, of the Wessex Regionalists, stood up at the end of the count and attempted to perform a speech of his own after Mr Cameron had completed his victory address.

Mr Bex gained 110 votes. The London-based candidate had said he hoped to champion human rights and local democracy.