Lib Dems win bye election

What a breath of fresh air. At long last a touch of sanity.

Their faces said it all after the result was given!

Labour’s candidate came a distant third, losing his deposit.

Less chance of a general election next year .

It is interesting but, according to the BBC, 70% of Richmond voted Remain so perhaps not such a great surprise that they opposed Zac Goldsmith in the bye election.

It is undoubtedly good news (at last!) for Liberal Democrats but hardly representative of the country. Not much encouragement for Jeremy Corbyn but he must be getting used to that.

The Libs fought the campaign on Brexit

I know it is unChristian to snigger but apparently Zac Goldsmith arrived an hour late for the final pre election debate having been "slightly run over " by one of his campaign team and had to go home to change his trousers, (slap my wrist for Schadenfreude)

Richmond was Lib Dem from its creation in1997 until 2010 when Zac Goldsmith won.

Neighbouring Twickenham was Lib Dem for 18 years (Vince Cable).

I don't find it surprising that a Lib Dem has been returned, especially one who is a staunch Remainer.
If Richmond ever returned a Labour MP I would be flabbergasted.

I live next door to Richmod on Thames and it's a place I'm very familiar with, my husband rented offices from a firm of solicitors as one of his best pals was a partner in the practice. These offices were in a Georgian building on the Green and I worked there for a while. The people of Richmond and neighbouring Barnes are not really representative of the rest of the country, it's a bit like Hampstead and parts of Islington insomuch as it's incredibly affluent plenty of BBC and wealthy media types live in these areas, Richard Attenborough had a large Georgian house on The Green and his brother David lives up the hill as did Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall and various other A listers. Richmond is not typical of the country as a whole, it's an enclave of elite and privilege and there are many there that embody the "metropolitan elite" that we hear so much about these days. They overwhelmingly voted for "Remain" no suprise there and it was quite predictable that they voted against Zac Goldsmith in the way that they did because it was a protest vote. I've met enough Richmond and Barnes residents to know that they are not representative of the country as a whole only of a type.

Is any area representative of the country as a whole though?

Terribull a good assessment. Having lived next door to there too, the good people of Richmond and those in Twickenham are not representative of the country as a whole.

I would say that they would be more Lib Dem in fact, believing that to be an act of rebellion - but would never be able to bring themselves to vote Labour (apart from some of the luvvies that is!).

It is an area that tends to switch from Conservative to Lib Dem and back again.

And I fail to see how it can be 'one-in-the-eye' for the Tories as they did not put up a candidate - Zac Goldsmith (Independent) is obviously not quite as popular as he thinks he is.

No, none are Anniebach, but I do think that there is more balance in most constituencies, although I may be wrong.

Other areas would be more representative than Richmond AB, it's not that some of the wealthier people who live there are horrible, just a bit complacent, it's just like so many of a "type" they live in a bubble and don't really appreciate that not everyone else lives the way they do.

Richmond can only represent Richmond and the people who voted to remain are not going to change their minds so soon. By supporting Brexit, Zac Goldsmith did not actually represent these voters so no surprise that he lost. I have just heard Sarah Olney being interviewed on the news and she is answering some tough questions with really credible responses.
I want to see the LibDems rise again because I find I am one of Tony Blair's politically homeless at the moment and I don't like it.

I hope she'll be up to the job because she only joined politics a year ago.

Good luck to her!

Blair left the house in 2007 Jayh, how come you still feel homeless ?

Most constituencies aren't at all 'balanced'. There are fewer than 100 battleground seats and a handful of three-way marginals. There are oddities, such as when the LibDems won Redcar in 2010 and Martin Bell won Tatton in 1997.

Most political pundits claim that party politics is realigning. C2DE voters are becoming more right-wing and BC1 voters are becoming more centrist/left-wing - hence the problems the Labour Party is experiencing. There is a new form of class war, which claims that 'elites' are the enemies.

I agree that Richmond Park isn't 'representative', by my constituency and the two immediately to the north aren't either.

Someone has to vote Lib Dem though, or else they will disappear into the great unknown .....

I did say when it became so obvious labour had turned far left the Libs would rise again

The Conservatives didn't put up a candidate as they didn't want to split the Tory vote ( as did UKIP)

Agreed that this constituency is not representative of the country as a whole, but nowhere is, and I for one am getting tired of whining about metropolitan elites who generally voted remain. These people are as entitled to their views as anyone else, and sneering comments ( as made on QT last night) are a sad by product of the Brexit vote. People who are middle class are entitled to their votes counting as well, and I for one am glad that smug Zac Goldsmith lost.

I felt sorry for Goldsmith, but I felt sorry for Portillo when he lost his seat too

I an not sure I can find it in me to be sorry for a Goldsmith. His brother Ben's tweet (now deleted) insulting the winner was a disgrace

Totally to be expected and not a surprise at all, particularly in that constituency.