Lib Dems Triumphant in Leicester South by-election

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 16th Jul 2004

The Liberal Democrats have achieved one of their greatest by-election successes ever, capturing Leicester South on a 21% swing from Labour. In Birmingham Hodge Hill they achieved in an even better 26% swing, falling just 460 votes behind Labour.

With the Conservatives in electoral disarray, and just a 10% swing needed to win Cambridge at the next election, Cambridge Liberal Democrats have high hopes that David Howarth will be joining Parmjit Singh Gill and many more Liberal Democrats in Parliament.

The Liberal Democrats won the Leicester South by-election overturning a massive Labour majority in the process. The Conservatives came third.

Winning candidate and newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Parmjit Singh Gill said:

"Yesterday Lord Butler gave his views on Tony Blair's reasoning for backing the invasion of Iraq. Today, people in Leicester have given theirs.

"The claims about weapons of mass destruction were exaggerated. The justification which Tony Blair gave for backing George Bush was wrong.

"The people of Leicester South have spoken for the people of Britain. Their message is that the Prime-Minister has abused and lost their trust. He should apologise now. And so should the Conservative Party for backing him so strongly on this issue.

"Charles Kennedy and the Liberal Democrats were right to oppose George Bush's war in Iraq. Charles Kennedy took a courageous stand against the decision to go to war - and his position has been vindicated by events and supported by voters today.

"The people of Leicester have said that they want the Government to change their ways. And that when they are ready for a change of Government - it is not to the Conservatives that they will turn.

"The Liberal Democrats are the challengers to Labour now.

"I would like to thank my Leader Charles Kennedy for his inspirational support in this campaign; my brilliant agent Stuart Bray - and the Lib Dem by-election team who have once again risen to the challenge; and the staff and all those involved in conducting the election.

"But above, all I would like to thank the people of Leicester South who have given me the opportunity of serving them in Parliament. I will not let them down."