Delight as Lib Dems Snatch Seat in Historic By-election

12.20.51pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 19th Sep 2003

Sarah Teather - Lib Dem MP for Brent East

Councillor Paul Elgood, Lib Dem Leader on Brighton and Hove City Council has expressed delight at the party's success in the Brent East by-election. The Lib Dem candidate, Sarah Teather, leapfrogged the Labour and Tory candidates to take the seat.

Paul commented:

"This is a stunning result for us. We have not just beaten the Labour candidate but also pushed the Tories from second to third place - proving how irrelevant they are today. No seats are safe from us with this kind of swing and we will be eyeing

up the Brighton and Hove Labour seats very closing at the next General Election."

"Sarah will make a first class MP. She is a great friend and I've already had a message from her saying how over the moon she is with the result. What a message to Blair this result is."