LAST week's General Election threw up its fair share of drama in our area - with both the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives securing gains.

The Lib Dems' Greg Mulholland took Leeds NorthWest by winning a large share of the vote from both Labour and the Tories, while in Shipley the Conservatives defeated Government Minister Chris Leslie by the slenderest of margins.

In fact of the three previously Labour-held constituencies, Leeds North West, Pudsey and Shipley only Pudsey - which includes Horsforth and Aireborough - remained under the party's control.

Pudsey MP Paul Truswell actually saw his majority increase slightly with most of the opposition vote split between the Conservatives and Lib Dems.

After an intensive month of camp-aigning the successful candidates were sworn in this week and started to get down to the nitty-gritty of life at Westminster.

Mr Mulholland, who took Leeds North West on the back of a ten per cent swing towards the Lib Dems, said: "All along we were fighting to win, we knew we had a chance if we fought the best campaign and worked the hardest. I'm just delighted we did it on the day.

"The election's out of the way now and I can now get on with the job I wanted to do, which starts immediately.

"Nationally, I thought our seats would go up to between 60 and 70, which they did, and we were the only party to go up in the percentage share of the vote.

"More seats would have been nice but it was a decent result and we now have MPs in all the main cities.

"I think a lot of this election was about sending a message to Tony Blair and in this particular seat people sent a very powerful message to Tony Blair about many of the things he's done over the last few years.

"Our job now as the credible opposition party is to hold a Labour government with a very much smaller majority to account.

"I would like to express my thanks to the people of Otley and Wharfedale because we did our best to engage with people on the issues that matter to them.

"I'm extremely honoured to be MP for the area and will strive with the very best of my ability to represent them over the coming years."

Mr Truswell was one of only half a dozen Labour MPs to make it through the election with a slightly increased maj-ority.

He said: "The campaign was long and intensive, and the outcome for many reasons was almost impossible to call.

"I was left in a state of shock by the result on the night, given the national trend. It is very humbling that so many people ultimately decided to entrust their vote to me, given all the competing factors that I know many voters were grappling with in reaching their decision.

"I know they cannot be taken for granted and that there is absolutely no room for complacency.

"I would thank everyone who supported me and I will continue to try my best to fulfil that confidence, and to work as hard as I can for all the people and communities of this great constituency.

"I hope the result also helps to demonstrate to the Government the value of listening to people and to backbenchers who work closely with their constituents.

"My priorities remain the same as they have always been -- being a good constituency MP and using Westminster to raise the needs of this constituency. Every week brings new issues to add to the long and daunting list of challenges.

"I will be continuing to work with local people to press for even shorter NHS waiting lists, maximise the potential of our new hospital, secure further investment in our schools, and obtain more police officers.

"I'll also be continuing the campaigns that have arisen from constituents' experiences, such as for Isobel's Law -- the ban on doorstep cold calling by property repairers -- and to give communities more control over bus operators.

"There are also still great challenges in terms of transport, environment and developers on which I will continue to work closely with local people."

Shipley MP Philip Davies (Conservative) is pledging to do his best to restore the public's faith in politicians.

Mr Davies puts his success down to "an awful lot of hard work, not just over four weeks but over four and a half years."

And he says that the overwhelming message he has picked up is not just that people don't trust Tony Blair, but that they don't trust politicians in general.

"I think the message which has been given out is that people don't really trust politicians. They certainly don't trust Tony Blair or the government -- or equally any politician.

"The number of people on the doorstep who have said to me you are all as bad as each other is phenomenal.

"If I could just achieve one thing it would be to try to restore people's faith in politicians."

Mr Davies is also pledging to faithfully represent his constituents and stay true to his own beliefs even if it means going against the party line.

"All I want to be is a constituency MP," he said. "I have no ambitions to be a Government minister or anything like that."

He stressed: "I won't just toe the party line. If I disagree with my party I will vote against them if I have to."

Mr Davies said he wanted his constituents to know he was approachable and was committed to working on their behalf.