Lib-Dem's could win Warwick & Leamington at the next General Election

10.22.02am BST (GMT +0100) Sun 2nd Jul 2006

Lib-Dem's could win in Warwick & Leamington

If yesterday's by-election result in Bromley and Chislehurst was replicated in Warwick & Leamington at the next General Election the Liberal Democrats would win the seat.

Local party chairman, David Manuel said "I am delighted to see that the Bromley result shows that we can win in Warwick & Leamington. Although Ben Abbotts missed out on victory by the narrowest of margins he fought an excellent campaign, we will be looking to replicate the swing here at the next General Election."

In Bromley there was a swing of 14% from the Conservatives to the Liberal Democrats and 16% from the Labour Party to the Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats in Bromley gained an extra 17% (the Conservatives lost 11% and Labour lost 15%).

Sir Menzies Campbell said, "This is a stupendous result for the Liberal Democrats in one of the safest Conservative seats in the country. It shows that there is no confidence in Cameron's Tories in the Conservative heartlands. Liberal Democrats are now challenging both Labour and the Conservatives, even in their heartlands."

"a very bad night for David Cameron" and "a very, very good night for the Liberal Democrats"

(BBC, 30/06/06)

"the news is not great for David Cameron either. Not only did he see a 13,000 Conservative majority in Kent collapse to a meagre 633-vote margin over the Liberal Democrats, but he watched his candidate take fifth place in south Wales, even when the Labour vote in that seat was split down the middle. Hardly signs of a revived Tory party."

"the only leader wearing a smile today will be Ming Campbell… he can draw comfort from a strong Lib Dem performance in Bromley."

Commentator Jonathan Freedland, Guardian Unlimited