Lib Dems win best local election results 'in a decade' in wake of EU referendum

There are signs the party could be starting to recover

(Getty)

The Liberal Democrats have hailed their best night of local election results “in a decade” as the party benefits in the aftermath of the EU referendum fall-out.

The liberals picked up four council seats in town hall by-elections across the country on Thursday night amid Labour’s collapse into infighting.

The party took seats off Ukip and the Tories in Newquay and North Norfolk respectively. They also made gains at the expense of independents in Cornwall and Wiltshire.

Since the EU referendum the Lib Dems have made headlines by taking an unambiguously pro-EU stance and pledging to bring Britain back into the bloc if elected to government.

With a pool of 48 per cent of voters clearly supportive of staying in the bloc, Tim Farron’s party appear to be picking up some converts.

In the seats won by the party it recorded increases in vote share of 33 per cent, 13 per cent, and 32 per cent respectively. It also won 41 per cent in a seat in which it stood no candidate at the previous election.

Though the local gains will have little impact on national politics, council by-election results are often seen as one of the best aggregate barometers of a party’s electoral fortunes.

“This is the best night of local elections we have had in a decade,” Lib Dem party president Sal Brinton told the Independent.

“Four council gains means that we have four more councillors to fight for more council housing, a living wage and more environmental action in their communities.

“We won seats from UKIP, the Conservatives and Independent candidates. While Labour rip themselves apart people are lending their vote to the Liberal Democrats to make sure progressive politics is delivered in their town hall.”

If the Liberal Democrats are recovering, the road to full health will be long. The party hit a historic low after the 2015 general election, losing all but eight of their MPs after shedding many scores of local councillors across the country while in coalition with the Tories.

An Ipsos MORI showed the party on 11 per cent this week, after winning just 7.8 per cent of the vote in 2015. Other polls have shown the party with a lower share, however.

Labour held three seats up for election in Bradford, Islington, and Newham, with broadly flat shares of the vote. It narrowly lost a seat on Yorkshire’s Selby council to the Conservatives