The district is waking up to the staggering news health campaigner DrRichard Taylor has obliterated the opposition in a landslide victory in WyreForest.

Only hours ago the retired hospital consultant recorded an unprecedentedwin to become the first independent to be elected MP on a local issue in themodern era.

The crowd at Kidderminster's Glades Arena gasped in awe at the monumental28,487 votes polled for the 66-year-old Health Concern candidate.District folk snubbed traditional parties to give Dr Taylor an awesome 58per cent of the vote to send a message from the heart of England to the seatof Government.

A typically understated Dr Taylor was more bedside manner than brash bravuraas he reflected on his stunning triumph within minutes of the result at2.30am.

He said: "This is complete justification for the struggle we've put up forthree-and-a-half-years, keeping going this long against all the powers ofspin and secrecy.

"I am absolutely delighted the people have shown the Government and themajor political parties that they cannot be disregarded - that democracydoes count."

The consultant has led the campaign to save and then restore services toKidderminster Hospital, which lost its blue-light A&E department andinpatient services, under Worcestershire Health Authority's county shake-up.

The downgrading was rubber-stamped by Health Secretary Alan Milburn andendorsed by outgoing MP and Government minister David Lock, who polled10,857 - a loss of 15,986 votes from his victorious campaign four years ago.

Dr Taylor said his stunning triumph was a testament to the fortitude ofdistrict folk who refused to buckle under Government policy.

He said: "The message to the Government is you cannot ride roughshod over alocal community's feelings without rebellion.

"They have used the ballot box - the only weapon left to people who havebeen disregarded."

And he poured scorn on the notion he was an out-of-touch medical dinosaurcampaigning on a single-issue.

He said: "It is a local issue that's got me to this position. But I reallybelieve and I think the people have shown we are not a single-issue party.

"Our councillors have run the authority effectively for two years.

"We've got many issues to deal with but the overriding one is the need forrational and open debate on the future of health care."

Dr Taylor, whose school contemporary Martin Bell trailblazed the way forindependents in the modern era, said he would fight effectively to highlightthe unfairness of the Kidderminster Hospital downgrading.

He said: "I will be free from the constraint of party whips and the partymachine. I can expose why the downgrading was so unfair.

"In my opinion it was made for financial not medical reasons.

"Its severity is unique and unfair. No other hospital of similar size andlocation as Kidderminster has been decimated to such a degree.

"We have examples such as Hexham, seven miles from where Health SecretaryAlan Milburn lives, a town of 11,000 about 16 miles from Newcastle.

"That hospital will replace a small, district general hospital that had 125beds - we had 300.

"Mr Milburn is reported to have said he knew from personal experience ahospital was necessary in Hexham and people in Tynedale should not be madeto travel either to Newcastle or Carlisle.

"So to Mr Milburn 16 miles is too far for 11,000 of his neighbours to travelbut it is good enough for 135,000 people in Wyre Forest and SouthShropshire!"

He added: "There are examples, such as Louth and Grantham, which haveretained their A&Es - we have to expose the injustice that has beeninflicted upon us."

He said: "I will fight to get emergency services for conditions which occurcommonly so we people don't have to go 35 miles for heart-attack,appendicitis and other common conditions.

"I know exactly how difficult it is going to be and my words have alreadybeen twisted but I think this country is basically fair and fairness willprevail."

And he assured his constituents they would be more than welcome to visit hissurgery on any matter.

He said: "I will spend my initial period listening to people, finding outwhat they want, and then working out how to help them.

"I had the pleasure of helping so many people in the district as a hospitalconsultant for 23 years.

"Now I look forward to seeing them in another kind of surgery and uphold thevalues of fairness, openness, service and real democracy on which wecampaigned."