Yesterday I went to lend a hand to colleagues in South East Cambridgeshire in a local by-election.  Lib Dem Frances Amrani gained a  seat off the Tories in Teversham, a ward which abuts Cambridge.

It seems that in South Cambridgeshire, the Tories are doing their best at emulating their colleagues in Forest Heath in the complacency stakes.  Poor financial management and a rush to get rid of their housing stock against local residents’ wishes have not gone down well.  Once again residents have shown that they value their vote and will not just vote for anyone with a blue rosette in rural East Anglia.

A second gain for the Lib Dems from the Tories in the last 7 months.  Given where the Tories are in the opinion polls not a good result for them.  A pretty good result for the local Lib Dems and for local people.   Pat McCloud will make a very good councillor.  He certainly knows how to stand up for the local community!

 The Result:

Forest Heath DC Red Lodge WardTurnout 38%Pat McCloud Lib Dem 321 votes 55.9%Conservative 230 votes 40.1%

Today I visited two places that have over the last few years difficult areas for the Liberal Democrats Epping and Brentwood.

 I knocked on doors in Theydon Bois for our candidate there and then went delivering in Brentwood south in the afternoon.  I found that we have gained new activists and were invigorated.  I found that in Brentwood they need to updater their literature over the next year if they are to go onto bigger and better things and to challenge the Tory run council seriously.

I went campaigning with two old friends today,  I went delivering with Robin Whitmore, our excellent candidate for Westgate in the morning.  It was very cool I must say  but Robin is battling hard against a tough Labour opponent.  

I then went down to Thurrock and went campaigning with Earnshaw Palmer in Chafford Hundred.  In the inclement weather door knocking was difficult but he seemed to have a reasonable response, I fear not good enough to win though.

I see there is another by-election on Suffolk County Council in Stowmarket North.  It is only a few months that the Tory was elected there in another by election.    I hope that those people that voted Labour or Green last time will have the sense to back the Lib Dem Nicky Turner to remove yet another Tory from Suffolk County Council.

Last time the Tory won with just 31% of the vote.

This mean spirited Tory administration has imposed charges on the elderly and infirm and introduced uncertainty into the education of our children.  I hope we wont have to suffer them too much longer.