The Lib Dems have won north Shropshire

[onlychildhamster]

'The Liberal Democrats have won a stunning victory in the North Shropshire byelection, taking what had previously been a safe Conservative seat by a margin of nearly 6,000 votes, and capping a disastrous few weeks for Boris Johnson.

Helen Morgan, the Lib Dem candidate, won 17,957 votes, ahead of the Conservatives’ Neil Shastri-Hurst, on 12,032, a majority of 5,925. Labour’s Ben Wood was third, with 3,686 votes. Turnout was 46.3%.

The calamitous collapse in Conservative support – a 34% swing in a seat where they had a near-23,000 majority in 2019 – will prompt significant jitters among many Tory MPs, and is likely to raise questions about Johnson’s future.'

Wow just wow. The Tories have held this seat ever since it was created. Now they have lost it because of a few Christmas parties.

Helen Morgan wins seat the Conservatives have held for almost 200 years in a byelection called after environment secretary Owen Paterson resigned

fantastic news. We are done with the lies, sleaze and corruption. We are done with the restrictions on our liberties and freedoms which do not seem to apply if you work at No. 10. We will not be terrorised or listen to any more scaremongering.
Absolutely brilliant amazing result.

I can assure you they haven't won "because of a few Christmas parties". They won because we are sick of being the poor relations, of having 20+ years if being 'served' by an MP who has done nothing for us but 'served ' himself and because the Torys were foolish enough to think they could win with a candidate parachuted in from Birmingham who knew nothing about the area (except what he'd been briefed).

Excellent news. It might finally get through to the Conservatives that being led by a bunch of corrupt, lying incompetents isn't exactly helping them.

Best news in ages. I liked how gracious she was in saying some labour voters lent their votes too. A whole different kinder way of doing things than we have had to get used to.

It’s a short term protest vote. But it’ll be one of the Final straws for Boris. The problem is who replaces him and will he start a war (metaphorically) to distract attention.

@bigbluebus

I can assure you they haven't won "because of a few Christmas parties". They won because we are sick of being the poor relations, of having 20+ years if being 'served' by an MP who has done nothing for us but 'served ' himself and because the Torys were foolish enough to think they could win with a candidate parachuted in from Birmingham who knew nothing about the area (except what he'd been briefed).

The parties motivated those who voted Lib Dem and probably motivated Labour voters to vote Lib Dem once it was clear they were the main opposition. I agree with you that it was not the parties that meant the Tory vote stayed at home.

The question is has the MP for neighbouring Shrewsbury and Atcham been corrupt enough to warrant a long enough suspension to trigger a recall petition. Getting enough signatures on such a petition would not be a challenge.

Best xmas present ever.the fuckers should be voted out in every seat!

It’s brilliant news. We pay our party subs but have felt disillusioned with the Lib Dem’s for a while. This gives me hope of a West Country revival. If not something bigger. And an end to this ho-ha nationalism and ghastly cronyism for a while.

BIL works in Westminster, is pally with many Tory MPs/ Lords and sent a gleeful message that the knives are drawn for Johnson this morning. I’m hoping for a trade mark Tory quick, clean dispatch.

Sunak by February, do we reckon?

@jgw1 We can live in hope. He is another self serving individual and a bi election in his constituency would be most welcome by the voters I'm sure.

[quote bigbluebus]@jgw1 We can live in hope. He is another self serving individual and a bi election in his constituency would be most welcome by the voters I'm sure.[/quote]
The nice thing about him is he doesn't even pretend he is interested in his constituents or constituency.

I like to hope it signals a rejection of covid passports, which the lib dems as a party oppose.

Let’s hope this is the beginning of the end for Boris and the rest of the lying corrupt weasels.

I’m really really pleased.
However, that area isn’t very multicultural and the Conservative candidate wasn’t entirely “local” so I wonder if that also played a part?
Either way it’s great news

Now they have lost it because of a few Christmas parties

Ah yes it's a shame those Xmas parties have undone all of the excellent work and choices they have made throughout covid...

A little glimmer of light in an otherwise very dark and bleak year of UK politics. My only hope from this is that the current opposition parties see the great value in tactical voting.

Hilariously/depressingly, if Owen Paterson had served his suspension for blatant corruption he'd be back in the House by now.

They have almost 50% turn out up there here we only have 23% and they got in again

It's a great result but I wouldn't read too much into it - byelections often throw up weird results.

I would love to think my very safe Tory seat area could turn yellow, but I doubt it. Interestingly my MP abstained on the covid measures vote though, and usually he does as he's told.

@TheShadoutCrepes

A little glimmer of light in an otherwise very dark and bleak year of UK politics. My only hope from this is that the current opposition parties see the great value in tactical voting.

Yes. They asked Ed Davey about this on the Today programme. He said it was down to the common sense of voters. Yes Ed but maybe you and Labour could not run opposite each other in marginal seats? Not that this one was exactly marginal.

The Libdems already do it in my council area - they don't run against the local community group.

I tend to vote Conservative and I think it’s a good thing they got a bloody nose there. Might get them to listen to what people want.

@JuergenSchwarzwald

It's a great result but I wouldn't read too much into it - byelections often throw up weird results.

I would love to think my very safe Tory seat area could turn yellow, but I doubt it. Interestingly my MP abstained on the covid measures vote though, and usually he does as he's told.

Weird, sure, but this is a MASSIVE majority to lose. I think it's quite significant.

Isn't it brilliant! I'm delighted, well done Labour voters for lending their votes. Now can we please do that in a general election too? We need a liberal alliance to get the Tories out.

I think they're hoping to keep him until spring when Covid will be less of an issue (at least until next winter), but this might be the final straw.

Our Lib Dem candidate does far more for our community than our (Tory) MP, who just toes the party line and does not support her constituents.

We have always been a Labour stronghold until the last election.

It warms my cockles when traditional tory voters get irate. Because they're so insular and selfish they don't give a toss about things that don't impact them: FSM kids? doesn't matter. Windrush? doesn't matter. Didn't get to travel to their second home in Cornwall but the tories were getting off their tits during lockdown? OUTRAGE!!

Love it!