BUCKINGHAMSHIRE stayed true blue at last week's county and general elections.

All five Conservative MPs retained their seats with increased majorities. Wycombe MP Paul Goodman more than doubled his majority over Labour to 7,051.

Dominic Grieve got back in Beaconsfield, Cheryl Gillan in Chesham and Amersham, David Lidington in Aylesbury and John Bercow in Buckingham. And Beaconsfield Conservative district councillor Anne Main, who stood in St Albans, overturned the 4,466 majority of the Labour MP Kerry Pollard to take the seat by 1,361 votes.

The Conservatives increased their numbers on Buckinghamshire County Council from 40 to 44.

The number of Labour councillors, who all represented High Wycombe wards was reduced from five to two, but the Lib Dems increased their numbers from nine to 11.

Five existing county councillors failed to be re-elected, including the leader of the Labour group on Wycombe District Council, Clare Martens, and her party colleague Ian Bates. Two Tories failed to get back, Andy Huxley in Aylesbury and Kathie Webber in South Bucks.

Speaking after the election, county leader David Shakespeare warned that the Government predicts a five per cent council tax rise next year.

He said: "The only way to get it lower is by saving money. The council spends the whole year looking at this."

That could mean charging for council services that are not totally necessary.

"There must be a debate about how many services are core services that have to be kept and how many are add-on services, for which people could pay cost price. If people want lower council tax, people who want more services will have to pay more," said Cllr Shakespeare.