The Liberal Democrats have chalked up another shock victory for 2016, with Sarah Olney winning the Richmond Park by-election – beating incumbent Zac Goldsmith who had boasted a 23,000 majority.

Olney bagged 20,510 votes compared to Goldsmith, who was standing as an independent, who polled 18,638.

Goldsmith quit the Conservative Party and stood under his own steam after the government decided to back a third runway at Heathrow airport, which prompted him to keep an election promise.

The Lib Dem victor, who took 49.7% of the vote, said dissatisfaction with the way Brexit was being handled was the key factor in the outcome.

She said the result was a rejection of the “politics of anger and division”, telling supporters:

“We will defend the Britain we love. We will stand up for the open tolerant, united Britain we believe in.

“The people of Richmond Park and North Kingston have sent a shockwave through this Conservative Brexit government, and our message is clear: we do not want a hard Brexit.

“We do not want to be pulled out of the single market, and we will not let intolerance, division and fear win.”

Labour’s Christian Wolmar trailed a distant third with 1,515 votes, after the Greens backed the Lib Dem candidate, while Ukip stood aside to give Mr Goldsmith a clear run and the Conservatives did not field a standard bearer.

Graeme Demianyk 

Night News Editor and US-Based Reporter, The Huffington Post UK

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