Lib Dems grab the blue votes
THE Liberal Democrats made gains across the country in a development that will alarm the Conservative Party.
Leader Sir Ed Davey said it was an ‘historic moment’ as his party took control of town halls in Somerset, Cumbria and Hull. The Lib Dems did particularly well in southern England, winning dozens of seats in former Conservative strongholds such as Tunbridge Wells. Its performance in what has been dubbed the ‘Blue Wall’ will concern Boris Johnson ahead of a general election, particularly as it could lead to senior figures such as Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, whose seat is in Surrey, being ousted as MPs.
Speaking to activists in Wimbledon Common last night, Sir Ed said: ‘I’m excited about all those seats across the Blue Wall which, frankly, we haven’t been players in for a long time.’ He added that rural communities were ‘fed up with being taken for granted by Boris Johnson’.
As ballots continued to be counted, by last night the Lib Dems had gained more than 180 council seats in England – the biggest gain of any party.