The Liberal Democrats shocked the Conservative Party (also known as the Tories) in a by-election held on Thursday by snatching what was previously a safe seat away from the British governing party.
A by-election was held in the constituency of Chesham and Amersham in Buckinghamshire, north-west of London. The by-election had become necessary following the death of the previous MP, Dame Cheryl Gillan.
This is the first time the seat won’t be represented by the Conservatives since it was created in 1974.
On Thursday the candidate from the Lib Dems, Sarah Green, won 56.7% of the vote, compared to the quarter of the vote the party had won in the seat in the previous general election in 2019. By comparison, the Tories, represented by Peter Fleet, saw their vote share tumble from 55% to 36%.
The Greens came third with 3.9% of the vote – no other party won more than two percent.
The leader of the Lib Dems, Ed Davey, said that the result had sent a ‘shockwave’ through British politics.
In her victory speech Green said: ‘This campaign has shown that no matter where you live, or how supposedly safe a constituency may appear to be, if you want a Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament, you can have a Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament. If you wish to reject Conservative mismanagement and vote for a voice that will represent you and stand up for your rights, then it is a Liberal Democrat who will continue to fight your corner.’
The result could reflect the continuing realignment of British politics, as working-class communities in the North of England start looking to the Conservatives, while those in the more prosperous South start turning away and giving their support to parties such as the Lib Dems and Labour.
[Photo: Sarah Green of the Liberal Democrats]