The Chesham and Amersham by-election result means a party for the Liberal Democrats and a nagging worry for the prime minister, Boris Johnson. But it’s truly devastating for Labour’s leader Keir Starmer.
Looking back at the recent history of British politics, there isn’t anything particularly surprising about the Liberal Democrats taking a seat from the Tories in a London commuter belt by-election. The party long ago mastered the trick of generic opposition, appealing to Left-leaning voters in some areas, and the more conservatively minded in others.
The numbers are impressive – their vote is up 30% from the 2019 general election, to 56%. The Tories are down by 20%. But the Lib Dems’ profile as a party was built up through surprise by-election wins. They’ve learnt how to pour all their national resources into one place, and sink their opponents in a sea of leaflets.
