High Drama at By Election Count

10.55.00pm GMT Thu 10th Jan 2008

Ballot box

LibDems cause major shock in Welham Green by-election - Tory majority cut from 509 to just 55 votes!

John Elvy almost pulled off a massive shock win for the Liberal Democrats in yesterday's Welham Green by-election.

The by-election was called after the incumbent Tory councillor Peter O'Brien had resigned following allegations of pornographic images on his council laptop. But, after winning with a huge majority in 2006 the Tories were expecting an easy ride once again, but things turned out very differently.

As the count progressed the Tory observers became more anxious; a grim, grey-faced Grant Shapps admitted to LibDem councillor Nigel Quinton that he thought the LibDems had won it. And for a while it looked likely that John Elvy and the Liberal Democrats were about to pull off a spectacular win in a very high (46.6%) turnout contest. In the end a final flurry of votes enabled the Tories to scrape home by just 55, to their very evident relief. The final figures were Doug Berry (Conservative) 539 and John Elvy (Liberal Democrat) 484.

A long way behind came the BNP, who had called the election, and who polled just 16% of the vote which shows there is no real support for them in Welwyn Hatfield. .

For Labour in fourth place the result was little short of a catastrophe as they managed to attract just 88 votes, well under half the BNP vote. Both they and the Tories recorded their lowest vote in Welham Green in years.

Speaking after the count John commented: "I'd like to thank all those that voted for me and for the Liberal Democrat message of community engagement, something the other parties seem to have forgotten about. I was relishing the potential opportunity to represent the people of Welham Green and have appreciated the warm reception given to me when talking to the local residents. Hopefully the electorate will now wake up to the fact that Labour is dead as a political force in this borough and will back us to challenge the Conservative majority at Town, District and County level."

Paul Zukowskyj, who managed John's very positive campaign added: "With all-out elections coming this May, we hope residents will see that the Liberal Democrats can win seats and Labour cannot. I hope they will back us to effect real change that allows local people a real say in what goes on. Neither of the other parties offer anything new, or different - both seek to privatise and put private profit before community benefit and both ignore local accountability."

For more information contact:

Paul Zukowskyj - 07751 578462, or Paul@welhatlibdems.co.uk

John Elvy - 07811 562232, or John@welhatlibdems.co.uk