Political Sensation: Lib Dem Ben Abbotts within 633 votes of the Tories in "safe" Bromley and Chislehurst

12.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 30th Jun 2006

Ben Abbotts, now challenging in a 'marginal' seat

Ben Abbotts and the Liberal Democrats have given a huge "Thank You" to all those in Bromley and Chislehurst who supported the Liberal Democrats on Thursday. The Conservatives just retained their seventeenth safest seat in the country with a tiny 633 majority, despite a huge swing to the Liberal Democrats.

The decrease in the Conservative vote is the worst by-election result for the Conservative party in a Tory held seat since Wirral South in February 1997 - the last days of the John Major premiership. Labour came fourth.

The BBC called it "a stunning result", "a very bad night for David Cameron" and a "very, very good night for the Liberal Democrats".

The Bromley and Chislehurst by-election result in full:

• Ben Abbotts (Liberal Democrat): 10,988 (38% - up 17%)

• English Democrats Party: 212

• National Front: 476

• UK Independence Party: 2,347 (8% - up 5%)

• Monster Raving Loony Party: 132

• Green Party: 811

• Nick Hadziannis: 65

• John Hemming-Clarke: 442

• Labour: 1,925 (7% - down 15%)

• Conservative: 11,621 (40% - down 11%)

• Money Reform Party: 33

• Turnout: 40.5%

• Swing: 14% Conservative to Lib Dem; 16% Labour to Lib Dem

There are more details at www.ben4bromley.org.uk

Labour's fourth place is the first time the party in power has finished fourth in an English by-election since Liverpool Walton, the 1991 by-election caused by the death of Eric Heffer.

Ben Abbotts said:

"My thanks to the people of Bromley and Chislehurst who have supported me so strongly tonight, and my congratulations to their new Member of Parliament.

"This was a campaign in which the Conservative Party tried to take the support of local people for granted - Bromley and Chislehurst was the seventeenth safest Conservative seat in the whole country at the last General Election.

"Tonight's result has been far from convincing for the Conservatives, and it is clear that Labour has lost the trust of its former supporters. This result shows that as Labour lose support nationally - it is the Liberal Democrats to whom people are turning.

"I am very grateful to my Leader Ming Campbell - and his team in Parliament who have supported me so strongly in recent weeks.

"This is a sensational result for the Liberal Democrats. It shows that we can make strong advances at the expense of both other parties.

"Again, my thanks to everyone in the many different communities that comprise the Bromley and Chislehurst constituency who supported me today."

Sir Menzies Campbell MP said:

"This is a stupendous result for the Liberal Democrats in one of the safest Conservative seats in the country. It shows that there is no confidence in Cameron's Tories in the Conservative heartlands.

"Together with the results in Wales there has been a complete rejection of the Labour government following upon the Liberal Democrat success in Dunfermline earlier this year.

"Liberal Democrats are now challenging both Labour and the Conservatives, even in their heartlands."

Ashford parliamentary spokesman Chris Took, who previously worked with Ben in Canterbury, commented "Ashford is supposedly as 'safe' as Bromley and Chislehurst. Ben has shown that whatever the opponent people will vote Liberal Democrat if we can get our message across. That is the challenge for myself and my team before the next election in a few years time."