Lib Dems storm to victory in Farnborough by-election

11.28.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 25th Jul 2006

Hazel Manning (holding the flowers!) and some of her campaign team celebrating just after the result was announced!

Liberal Democrat candidate Hazel Manning stormed to victory today in Farnborough's Grange ward.

Liberal Democrats have never before won in Grange. In fact until today all existing councillors in Grange had been elected as Conservatives.

The result was:

Liberal Democrat 515 (UP 142)

Conservative 445 (Down 238)

BNP 137 (Down 120)

Labour 94 (Down 115)

Newly-elected Liberal Democrat Councillor Hazel Manning

This dramatic result follows on from another by-election in Farnborough last November, when Liberal Democrat candidate Sue Gadsby took St John's ward, which had previously been one of the safest Conservative wards in Rushmoor.

Sue went on to hold her seat at the council elections this May, doubling her majority in the process!

Despite a very healthy 30% turnout, votes for all the other parties were down. Most significant, perhaps is the fall in the BNP vote. While people were clearly looking for an alternative to the two failing old parties, they have made it clear that it is a positive alternative that they are looking for, not a negative one.