Liberal Democrat gains

Lucy Salek, the Liberal Democrat candidate in the recent Lewisham East by-election, writes:

We achieved an amazing result in Lewisham East – a 19% increase in our vote share!
The last time we achieved such a big swing from Labour was in the 2004 election in Hartlepool – the year after Iraq and when Blair was at his most unpopular. And the last time we did this well against Labour in opposition – when their supporters tend to back them more than they do in government – was in 1983. This makes this our best result against Labour in 35 years! I’ve even been told that a 19% swing would give us a further fifteen seats from Labour in a general election.

A few weeks ago, Paddy Ashdown told us: "By-elections might not be able to change the Government, but shock results can change politics and change Britain." The result in Lewisham East proved once again that the Liberal Democrats are a key political force in British politics. But more importantly, it shows that pro-EU supporters have decided that they cannot trust Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour party to protect them from the mess the Tories are making over Brexit - or deliver a final say for the British people on the Brexit deal.

The point about Lucy's highlighting a potential gain of fifteen seats from Labour is that Liberals and Liberal Democrats have traditionally made most gains of seats against Conservatives. In that respect, it should also be noted that Lucy pushed the Conservative candidate for Lewisham East down from a respectable second place to a dismal third.

Elsewhere in Southwark, Liberal Democrats won all three seats in the by election in London Bridge and West Bermondsey ward, representing a gain over 2014. Details here.