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| Lib Dems win Richmond Park by-election defeating Zac Goldsmith in tight race | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Liberal Democrats have taken a shock by-election win in Richmond Park, unseating former Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith. | |
| Sarah Olney took the win from a high turn out of 53.6%, and won with 20,502 votes, to Mr Goldsmith's 18,638. | Sarah Olney took the win from a high turn out of 53.6%, and won with 20,502 votes, to Mr Goldsmith's 18,638. |
| Mr Goldsmith triggered the by-election after resigning from the Conservative Party following the announcement by Theresa May’s administration to build a third runway at Heathrow airport. | Mr Goldsmith triggered the by-election after resigning from the Conservative Party following the announcement by Theresa May’s administration to build a third runway at Heathrow airport. |
| He has been a vocal opponent of the plans to expand the airport since his election to the Richmond seat in the 2010 election, and had always promised to resign if the Government backed expansion at the nearby airport. | He has been a vocal opponent of the plans to expand the airport since his election to the Richmond seat in the 2010 election, and had always promised to resign if the Government backed expansion at the nearby airport. |
| But despite fiercely opposing the airport, Mr Goldsmith disappointed a swathe of his constituents by publicly backing a Brexit vote in June’s EU referendum. Over 70 per cent of constituents in Richmond voted to Remain. | But despite fiercely opposing the airport, Mr Goldsmith disappointed a swathe of his constituents by publicly backing a Brexit vote in June’s EU referendum. Over 70 per cent of constituents in Richmond voted to Remain. |
| Liberal Democrat candidate Sarah Olney aligned herself with Mr Goldsmith on opposing Heathrow, but fought a fierce campaign on the Government’s plans for leaving the EU, promising to vote against triggering Article 50 in the Commons if elected. | Liberal Democrat candidate Sarah Olney aligned herself with Mr Goldsmith on opposing Heathrow, but fought a fierce campaign on the Government’s plans for leaving the EU, promising to vote against triggering Article 50 in the Commons if elected. |
| After the results were announced, Ms Olney thanked Mr Goldsmith and said: “I will continue your fight against the expansion of Heathrow.” | |
| Addressing the audience in Richmond she added: “A year and half ago I wasn’t involved in politics. I’d never been in a political party and I’d never thought of being a politician. | |
| “But when I saw what happened in the general election last year I had to get involved. | “But when I saw what happened in the general election last year I had to get involved. |
| “I think that after the result of the referendum, many people here felt the same.” | |
| “We have sent a shockwave through this Conservative Brexit government. | |
| “We do not want a hard Brexit, we will not be pulled out of the single market, and we will not let intolerance, fear and division win.” | |
| Mr Goldsmith told the audience his resignation from the Conservative Party, and the byelection was "not a political calculation, but a promise". | |
| Labour's Christian Wolmar lost his deposit, picking up just 1,515 votes. | |