Lib Dems -- Winning There!

[loganberrybunny]

Public

I don't have time to do one of my multicoloured results posts, I'm afraid, but the big news is that the Liberal Democrats have won Richmond Park by-election with a majority of just under 2,000 -- overturning Zac Goldsmith's 23,000 majority from the general election. This is a very, very pro-EU constituency (70% Remain in the EUref) so not

Comments

[jhall1]

"The Conservative Party, UK Independence Party and Green Party did not field candidates."

It's a little weird that the Tories did not put up a candidate - perhaps they feared an embarrassing defeat by Goldsmith - and I think it makes it hard to know what the result tells us.

[loganberrybunny]

Indeed; it's an exceptional seat. Mind you, the way 2016 has gone, I'm not sure many of the old political certainties apply any more anyway!

I wonder whether the lack of a Tory candidate actually hurt Goldsmith, by making people think, "Well, he's basically a Tory anyway" at a time when Richmond-style strong Remainers are becoming increasingly unimpressed with the current government in Westminster. Just a thought.

[porsupah]

That's my inclination. It's certainly not a bad result for the LDs, all the same; much now depends, for that MP, on how they actually conduct themselves, genuinely distinguishing themselves from Conservative policies or not.

[loganberrybunny]

We'll see, though I can't help reflecting that the much-derided (sometimes with good reason) coalition would never have brought us Brexit. That's one enormous difference between Con+Clegg and just Con.