Witney: David Cameron's former seat held by Tories... but Lib-Dems’ vote soars

Safe seat: Tory winner Robert Courts
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The Tories saw off a surge in support for the Liberal Democrats to hang on to David Cameron’s former parliamentary seat of Witney today.

Barrister Robert Courts won the by-election — triggered when the former prime minister quit Parliament — with a majority of 5,702.

Mr Cameron had held the seat last year with a majority of more than 25,000 but this was slashed by a swing of nearly 20 per cent to the Lib-Dems and a far lower turn-out.

Lib-Dem leader Tim Farron immediately set his sights on a possible by-election in Richmond Park where Tory Zac Goldsmith has vowed to resign if the Government backs a third runway at Heathrow.

“Witney shows we are now the real opposition to this Conservative Brexit government and can win votes anywhere,” he said. “The next battle is coming in Richmond Park. Bring it on.”

Witney is a rural area where a majority voted Remain in the EU referendum and the fall in the Conservative vote, suggesting a backlash against Brexit, could dampen calls for Theresa May to hold an early general election.

But Home Office minister Brandon Lewis said Witney, where Labour fell into third place, was still a “great result” for the Tories despite the reduced majority. Labour deputy leader Tom Watson denied it was “a disaster” for his party.

In Batley and Spen in Yorkshire, former Coronation Street actress Tracy Brabin won the by-election held there after the killing of Labour MP Jo Cox just days before the referendum.

She today described the result, with Labour getting 86 per cent of the vote, as a victory for “hope and unity”.

The other main parties did not put up candidates out of respect for Ms Cox, and several hardline Right- wingers who did contest the seat lost their deposits.

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