The Tories could be locked out of power for a generation if supporters of other parties vote tactically at the next general election, the Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, says on Sunday, after his party chalked up another stunning West Country byelection victory.

Toby Helm www.theguardian.com 

A massive 29% swing to the Lib Dems saw Sarah Dyke take the Somerton and Frome seat, overturning a Conservative majority of more than 19,200. Davey’s party now has a comfortable 11,000 majority of its own, the largest it has ever had over the Tories in the constituency.

In June last year the Lib Dems won Tiverton and Honiton from the Tories, overturning a 24,000 Conservative majority as Boris Johnson’s reputation reached its nadir.

Tactical voting clearly played a large part in the latest victory, with Labour’s share of the vote dropping sharply to just 2.6% compared with almost 13% at the general election in 2019, putting the party way back in fifth place.

The Lib Dems were themselves squeezed in the other two byelections held on Thursday: in Selby and Ainsty in North Yorkshire, where Davey’s party won only 3.3% of the vote compared with 8.6% in 2019, and in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, where it won only 1.7%, down from 6.3% in 2019.

As Davey hailed his party’s recovery in its traditionally strong territory of the south-west, he told the Observer that there was now a clear opportunity to remove the Tories from office at the next election and keep them out for the foreseeable future, if tactical voting occurred across the West Country and more widely.

“It is no secret that some Labour and Green party voters lent us their votes in Somerset and we are very grateful for their support,” he said. “In many seats across the south-west, voters at the next election will be faced with a similar choice between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives.

“My message to all voters who want to get rid of this out-of-touch Conservative government is clear: if the Liberal Democrats can win back our heartlands in the West Country, it could lock the Conservatives out of power for a generation.”

The Lib Dems, who suffered a near wipeout at Westminster after forming a coalition government with the Tories in 2010, are now rebuilding at national and local government levels.

Having returned only eight MPs to Westminster in 2015, they are now up to 15 after their victory in Somerton and Frome and have their eyes on 15 other Tory-held seats in the West Country alone, where the Conservative majorities are lower than in Somerton and Frome. They now run eight councils in the West Country, up from two in 2016.

Naomi Smith, chief executive of Best for Britain, which campaigns for better democracy and favours parties working together to remove the Conservatives, said her organisation would be providing guidance to voters ahead of the next election.

“In the absence of opposition parties standing aside for one another to defeat this failing government, progressive voters have little choice but to make tactical decisions come polling day,” she said.

“But voters can’t take for granted who the main challenger to the Tories is, so Best for Britain will provide constituency-level guidance. For as long as we have an arcane first-past-the-post system that structurally favours the right, such tactics will be necessary.”

Neal Lawson, the director of Compass, a centre-left pressure group, who is facing possible dismissal from the Labour party for encouraging people to vote tactically, said it had gained 250 members since his argument with Labour came to light last month, suggesting support for his argument. He added: “To translate big by election wins into a more widespread general election and deep political victory means Labour and the Lib Dems, and also the Greens, systematically squeezing the Tory vote and building an ideas agenda for lasting change.”

But Opposition councillors want money spent on families in need instead

Torbay councillors have been urged not to let the bay’s most needy families ‘go to hell in a handcart’ by keeping money in reserves rather than spending it on helping them.

Guy Henderson, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk 

“Don’t turn your backs on those in housing need,” urged Cllr Steve Darling (Lib Dem, Barton with Watcombe) as the full council debated its finances at a meeting this week.

But the bay’s Conservative administration insists that £400,000 left as a surplus from last year’s budget should go into capital reserves to help offset what they say is a “massive hole” in the capital programme.

Leader David Thomas (Con, Preston) said: “We are committed to having a strong grip on our finances, and the capital hole is absolutely massive.”

Opposition Liberal Democrats and Independents tried to persuade the administration to use the money to help families in need. Cllr Darling urged them: “The cost of living crisis is massively impacting many local residents. We want to address this immediately, rather than putting this money away for a rainy day.

“For many people in our community, it is already raining cats and dogs.”

Cllr Darling said the money could support people in their homes and help prevent them becoming homeless which increases pressure on council finances.

“We need to support our communities now, rather than leaving it to the future,” he added.

“Either we put the money in now, or we are going to have to find it somewhere else in the budget, or officers will be instructed by the cabinet to turn the taps off and let people go to hell in a handcart.”

And Cllr Nigel Penny (Lib Dem, Roundham with Hyde) said: “We are stashing away £400,000 into our pockets. People will say the council doesn’t understand them, and is lining its own pockets with this money.

“It’s a welcome windfall, but why should we keep all the luck? Why not share it with those in need? We can help people in genuine need now if we so choose.”

Cllr Darren Cowell (Independent, Shiphay) said the council must make sure it was supporting local families in need. “I don’t hear any words about social responsibility from this administration,” he said. “It’s all about pound signs.”

But Cllr Thomas insisted the council was still committed to supporting people in poverty and housing need, and added: “This money is not being squirrelled away into somebody’s deep pockets.”

And Cllr Alan Tyerman (Con, Churston with Galmpton) pointed out: “The financial position we have inherited is quite worrying.

“I am not unsympathetic to the argument that our residents need that help, but I still believe that this is the prudent way of acting at this particular time.”

The majority Conservative side of the council chamber voted down the Lib Dem and Independent amendment and agreed to put the £400,000 into council reserves.