By-Election Shows Tories Sliding Further

1.11.31pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 15th Apr 2008

A massive effort by the Conservatives to regain Thatcham North in last Thursday's Thatcham Town Council by-election came to nothing as the Liberal Democrats more than doubled their majority from 98 to 240. The seat had been lost by the Conservatives to their Liberal Democrat opponents in another by-election on January 10th. But the result of this by-election (which was called by the Conservatives) exactly three months later was an even bigger win for Liberal Democrat, Glyn Slater, by 831 votes to 591. As usual there was no Labour candidate.

The Conservative vote has been on the slide ever since a by-election was held in the ward in May 2005, the same month as the last General Election. The latest result shows a swing in favour of the Liberal Democrats of 4% since January 10th, 9% since the full Town Council election in May 2007, and 24% compared to the results at the time of the General Election.

"In politics, success breeds success", commented David Rendel, Newbury's Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson, "and the momentum in Newbury constituency is now clearly with the Liberal Democrats. I congratulate Glyn Slater on his success, which I am sure will be the first of many."