Lib Dems rout the Tories in Somerton & Frome and target 15 more West Country seats as fears mount that election pact with Labour will smash the ‘Blue Wall’

Lib Dems boasted they can pick up at least 15 more seats in the general election today after routing the Tories in Somerton & Frome.

Ed Davey’s party overturned a majority of more than 19,000 to win by a staggering 11,000 votes in the by-election overnight.

The 29-point swing will fuel alarm in Conservative circles at the threat posed by the Lib Dems in the so-called ‘Blue Wall’.

In worrying signs of an electoral pact, Labour helped by effectively sitting out the contest – with their candidate losing their deposit.

The Lib Dems reciprocated by clearing the path for Keir Starmer’s outfit to oust the Tories in Selby & Ainsty. 

Until the 2015 electoral disaster following the Coalition years, the South West had been a heartland for the Lib Dems and Sir Ed said the stunning result showed they were back in business.

Ed Davey’s party overturned a majority of more than 19,000 to win by a staggering 11,000 votes in the Somerton & Frome by-election overnight

Sarah Dyke won it back with a majority of 11,008 in the contest triggered by David Warburton’s resignation after he admitted cocaine use

Ed Davey said the ‘stunning victory’ showed the Liberal Democrats ‘are firmly back in the West Country’

By-election results in full

Uxbridge and South Ruislip – Conservative HOLD

Steve Tuckwell, Tories: 13,965 votes (45.16%)

Danny Beales, Labour: 13,470 votes (43.56%)

Sarah Green, Green: 893 votes (2.89%) 

Somerton and Frome – Lib Dem GAIN from Tories

Sarah Dyke, Lib Dem: 21,187 votes (54.62%)

Faye Purbrick, Tories: 10,179 votes (26.24%)

Martin Dimery, Green: 3,944 votes (10.17%) 

Selby and Ainsty – Labour GAIN from Tories

Keir Mather, Labour: 16,456 votes (45.96%)

Claire Holmes, Tories: 12,295 votes (34.34%)

Arnold Warneken, Green: 1,838 votes (5.13%)

The Lib Dems lost the Somerset seat eight years ago, but Sarah Dyke won it back with a majority of 11,008 in the contest triggered by David Warburton’s resignation after he admitted cocaine use.

Sir Ed said: ‘This stunning victory shows the Liberal Democrats are firmly back in the West Country.

‘Sarah Dyke will be an incredible local champion for the people of Somerset who have been neglected for far too long.

‘She will fight for stronger local health services, better access to GPs and a fair deal for rural communities during this cost-of-living crisis.

‘The people of Somerton and Frome have spoken for the rest of the country who are fed up with Rishi Sunak’s out-of-touch Conservative government.’

Sir Ed is the first Lib Dem leader since Paddy Ashdown in the 1990s to win four by-elections.

The victory in the Somerset seat follows the Tiverton and Honiton win in Devon last year and gains across the two counties in local elections.

Ms Dyke said she was ‘excited, exhilarated and most of all humbled’ at the result.

She told reporters afterwards: ‘It’s unbelievable and most of all I am delighted that Somerton and Frome have finally got a voice in the constituency, but also in Parliament, and I can’t wait to get started.

‘I think the result here shows a very clear message now that the Liberal Democrats are back in the West Country.

‘Not only do we have the largest group of Liberal Democrat councillors on Somerset Council, we now have an MP in Somerset.

‘We have a great legacy of Liberal Democrats MPs in Somerset. David Heath represented this constituency from 1997 to 2015 and the great, late Paddy Ashdown who was a hero to so many.’

As soon as the result was declared, defeated Conservative candidate Faye Purbrick left via a side entrance and got into a waiting car.

Reporters fired questions at her as she left the Bath and West of England Society showground.

Asked about the huge change in vote, she replied: ‘That would be something you would have to ask the voters.’

Asked if she had anything else to say, she added: ‘Thank you to everybody who voted for me – I really appreciate their support and I will be back.’

The Conservatives clung onto Uxbridge and South Ruislip, in west London, by less than 500 votes to avert a complete by-election wipeout

The Tories also lost another huge majority in Selby and Ainsty as Labour gained the North Yorkshire seat by more than 4,000 votes

The Lib Dems had put huge amounts of resource into winning the Somerton contest

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