Hartlepool Shows Lib Dems are Real Opposition to Labour

5.06.19pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 1st Oct 2004

Jody Dunn: Proof that the era of three party politics has arrived

Another huge swing to the Lib Dems occurred in the Hartlepool by-election on 30th September. It was not enough for Jody Dunn to win this time, but we reduced Labour's majority from around 14,000 to around 2,000. Labour's share of the vote fell by 18.5% and the Lib Dem vote rose by 19.2%.

The big story of the night was the continuing disintegration of the Conservative party - considered so out of touch that in a seat in which they have been in second place for forty years, they have now fallen into FOURTH place behind the UK Independence Party. The Tories gained just 9.7% of the vote.

Related Link:

Hartlepool Lib Dems.