We’re returning as a national force claims Cable after wins
THE Liberal Democrats are “on the way back”, leader Sir Vince Cable claimed yesterday as the party celebrated winning control of his local council in his first major electoral test as leader.
His party now runs Richmondupon-Thames in south-west London for the first time in eight years after unseating two dozen Tory councillors.
It also celebrated gaining control of Kingston-upon-Thames next door, also from the Conservatives.
Sir Vince, MP for Twickenham in Richmond, credited cuts in police and school budgets for the success, not his party’s anti-Brexit stance.
It won South Cambridgeshire and Three Rivers in Hertfordshire as well and retained control in Cheltenham, Sutton and Eastleigh.
The party also made some inroads in more northerly areas such as Sunderland, which backed Brexit. Sir Vince said: “It’s the beginning of the comeback of the Lib Dems. We are very much on the way back. We are reasserting ourselves as a major national force.”
In Remain-backing Kingston, where the Lib Dems lost control in 2014, newly elected leader Liz Green said Brexit was a factor but unhappiness with Tory governance was more significant. Labour as well as Tories lost seats in Kingston.
One of the Lib Dem victors was first-time winner Emily Davey, wife of former Cabinet minister Sir Ed.
Polling expert Professor Sir John Curtice said his analysis indicated the Lib Dems were up three per cent since most of the English seats were last contested in 2014.
But he cautioned: “This isn’t a performance that suggests we are at the beginning of some Lib Dem revival.”