Chesham and Amersham by-election: East Herts Liberal Democrats help party win seat

East Herts Liberal Democrats travelled to Buckinghamshire to help their party win the Chesham and Amersham by-election over the Conservatives for the first time in the constituency's history.

In the Thursday June 17 contest, they achieved a 25% swing, turning a 16,000 Tory majority into an 8,000 Lib Dem one and electing their 12th MP, Sarah Green.

It would require a 20% swing in the Hertford and Stortford constituency to unseat Conservative Julie Marson.

East Herts and Broxbourne Liberal Democrats chairman Andrew Porrer said: "I was very proud that so many members in East Herts and Broxbourne either made the trip over or helped in other ways. I myself spent some time campaigning there as well as on a very wet polling day.

"Traditional Conservative voters felt that the current Government didn't represent their values any more. They didn't warm to the dishonesty, the corruption and the incompetence.

"We thought it was going to be close on the night, but what really made it a spectacular result was the number of Conservatives voting for us helped by their own party, who had taken them for granted, turning them out to vote!"

At the May local elections, Lib Dem Richard Townsend won the East Herts Council by-election in Bishop's Stortford All Saints ward while party colleague Calvin Horner won both the Bishop's Stortford East division seat on Hertfordshire County Council – the first time Stortford voters had elected a non-Conservative to County Hall in 24 years – and the town council All Saints ward by-election.