Lib Dems overturn 19,000 majority

The Conservatives person suffered a dense decision successful the Somerton and Frome by-election but narrowly held connected to Boris Johnson's aged Uxbridge seat.

The Lib Dems overturned a bulk of much than 19,000, with a 29% plaything to unafraid triumph successful the Somerset seat.

But the Tories managed to fend disconnected a situation from Labour successful Uxbridge and South Ruislip, winning by 495 votes.

They inactive look a conflict to clasp Selby and Ainsty, with results owed later.

In Somerton and Frome, Lib Dem Sarah Dyke, a Somerset councillor with a farming background, won 21,187 votes, portion Conservative councillor Faye Purbrick trailed successful 2nd with 10,179 votes.

In her triumph code Ms Dyke thanked "lifelong Conservative voters" who had voted Lib Dem for the archetypal time, arsenic good arsenic Labour and Green supporters who had "lent" their votes.

She said the nationalist had been "let down and taken for granted for acold excessively long" by the Conservatives, with the authorities "too engaged being a circus of chaos".

The by-election was triggered by the resignation of erstwhile Tory MP David Warburton, pursuing allegations of drug-taking and intersexual misconduct.

Mr Warburton, who had held Somerton and Frome since 2015, resigned arsenic an MP past month, admitting helium had taken cocaine but denying the claims of intersexual harassment.

Ms Dyke accused Mr Warburton, who was suspended from the Conservative parliamentary enactment past April, of being an "absent" MP and said radical had been "left without a dependable successful Parliament for acold excessively long".

South-west England was a erstwhile stronghold for the Lib Dems until their adjacent wipe-out successful 2015 aft they went into conjugation with the Tories.

However, past twelvemonth they overturned a bulk of much than 24,000 successful the Tiverton and Honiton by-election to triumph the Devon seat, and they besides took power of Somerset Council from the Tories.

Lib Dem person Sir Ed Davey said the "stunning triumph shows the Liberal Democrats are firmly backmost successful the West Country" and that the state are "fed up with Rishi Sunak's out-of-touch Conservative government".

Meanwhile, Labour had hoped to instrumentality the westbound London spot of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, which had a bulk of 7,210.

But Steve Tuckwell clinched triumph successful a intimately fought contention which saw Conservative and Labour votes recounted.

Despite a 6.7% plaything to Labour, the Tories managed to capitalise connected section choler implicit the the planned enlargement of the Ulez Ultra Low Emissions Zone to outer London nether Labour politician Sadiq Khan.

Mr Tuckwell, who opposed the expansion, made the contented cardinal to his campaign, with activists saying it was raised often by voters connected the the doorstep.

Labour's Danny Beales, who came 2nd with 13,470 votes compared to Mr Tuckwell's 13,965, had argued it was not the close clip to grow the complaint amid a cost-of-living crisis.

However, the Tories highlighted however the enlargement was the argumentation of a Labour mayor.

In his triumph speech, caller MP Mr Tuckwell said Mr Khan's "damaging and costly Ulez policy" outgo Labour the seat.

Labour's nonaccomplishment to triumph Uxbridge meant Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was spared the imaginable of being the archetypal premier curate for 55 years to suffer 3 by-elections successful 1 night.

The by-election was triggered by Mr Johnson's resignation, aft the erstwhile premier curate claimed helium was "forced out" by an enquiry which recovered helium misled Parliament implicit lockdown parties astatine Downing Street.

Labour volition beryllium hoping for a large triumph successful Selby and Ainsty successful North Yorkshire.

The enactment faces a important conflict to triumph the seat, which has a bulk of 20,137. Overturning this would beryllium Labour's biggest ever by-election swing.