Lib Dems jubilant as Tories see majority slashed
IT HAS been an emotional summer for the newly elected Batley and Spen MP Tracy Brabin.
But following her landslide victory, the former actress claims she is “energised” and ready to get to work.
And within hours of the byelection result she was out and about on the streets of her constituency with her new colleagues.
Joined by Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson she wasted no time in thanking those who had shown her support during her election campaign.
As the only mainstream candidate to contest the seat, Ms Brabin secured a comfortable win for Labour.
Turnout was low at only 26 per cent, but she nevertheless crossed the finish line with 17,506 votes – 16,500 more than her nearest rival.
Taking to the stage in the early hours of Friday morning for her acceptance speech, the 55-yearold began by paying tribute to her former friend and predecessor Jo Cox.
She lamented the “bittersweet” nature of her victory, but said she hoped “Jo would be proud”.
“This has been a difficult experience for all of us, and tonight is a bitter-sweet occasion for me.
“That this by-election has had to take place at all is a tragedy,” she said.
“We are still all reeling from the shock of losing such a wonderful person and fantastic MP.
“This will be a particularly difficult day for Jo’s family and friends, and I want to pay tribute to them – we are all thinking of you and will always stand side by side with you.
I am deeply touched by how you have welcomed me Newly elected Batley and Spen MP Tracy Brabin
“I am deeply touched by how you have welcomed me and given so much to this campaign in such sad circumstances. I will work tirelessly for you.”
Her triumph was marred by the actions of some of the heckles from her rival opponents.
But Ms Brabin told The Yorkshire Post that their attempts to stir up “division and hatred” only served to give her “more steel”.
Looking forward to next week, the newly elected Batley and Spen MP said she was feeling “energised and excited” to get down to work.
But she added that she will have to “hit the ground running”, as her official swearing in ceremony looks set to be held on Monday.
Ms Brabin, who was born in Batley and worked with Mrs Cox on her campaign to save the town’s library, also said she had already received countless congratulatory messages from actors, friends, directors and MPs since the landslide result was announced.
But she suggested it is the reaction of her daughters which will mean the most to her.
“Everyone’s very excited as you can imagine, but having daughters it means a lot,” she explained.
“I’m hoping to say to them ‘I never expected to end up here, but if you believe in something and you’re committed to it and you work hard there’s no knowing what you can achieve’.”
As part of her campaign she promised to be a “loud, proud and strong Yorkshire voice”.
And Ms Brabin has pointed to her friend Jo Cox as the inspiration behind her decision to run for the West Yorkshire seat.
And yesterday she told The Yorkshire Post that the outgoing First Lady, Michelle Obama, is another key political role model.
“She’s just wise and grateful,” she said. “
And her phrase ‘when they go low, we go high’? I had that in my mind last night,”
She also dismissed any concerns about ongoing turmoil in the Parliamentary Labour Party.
She believes there has been a significant “sea change” since conference, stating that it “feels like we’re now taking the battle to the Conservatives”. DAVID CAMERON congratulated his successor as MP for Witney, after the Conservatives survived a strong by-election challenge from the Liberal Democrats.
Barrister Robert Courts secured victory over Lib Dem Liz Leffman but saw the majority he inherited from the former prime minister slashed from more than 25,000 at last year’s general election to just 5,702.
Jubilant Lib Dem leader Tim Farron hailed the 19.3 per cent swing, which propelled his party from fourth to second place, as a return to the “political big time” after their disastrous general election performance.
“The result not only signals that the Liberal Democrats are back in the political big time and the return to three-party politics, it is a clear rejection of the Conservative Brexit Government’s plan to take Britain out of the single market,” said Mr Farron.
“This was the tenth safest Tory seat in the country with a massive 25,000 majority, yet the Conservatives were seriously rattled.
“They are riding high in the polls, but my sense is that has largely been because people did not feel there was a real opposition to the Conservative Brexit Government. Witney proves there is now a real opposition, and that opposition is the Liberal Democrats.”
In his acceptance speech, Mr Courts paid tribute to Mr Cameron – whose decision to quit Parliament following his referendum defeat triggered the contest – as “a great prime minister and a brilliant MP” for the Oxfordshire constituency.
Mr Cameron responded with a message on Twitter: “Many congratulations Robert Courts – you’ll be a great MP and representative for Witney and West Oxfordshire.”
The Conservatives took 17,313 votes, just over 45 per cent of the vote share – down from Mr Cameron’s 60 per cent in 2015 – while the Lib Dems with 11,611 received 30 per cent of the vote, up from 6.8 per cent last year.