BRENT RESULT SENDS CLEAR MESSAGE TO BLAIR

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 19th Sep 2003

Sue Doughty Liberal Democrat MP for Guildford has congratulated Sarah Teather, the new MP for Brent East. Commenting on the victory in Brent she said:

"The tide is turning against Tony Blair and New Labour - but it remains far out for the Conservatives who suffered a terrible result. The result shows that the Lib Dems are set for many more gains in the future, we are on the way up!"

"People who are disappointed with Labour at the last General Election are now dismayed and some of their former supporters are even disgusted by their failures to improve services like the NHS, by the decisions to invade Iraq - and by the way in which they exaggerated the case for war.

"The Tories can take no comfort in this result. As the largest opposition party they should have emerged in a much stronger position in a mid term by election. They are now paying the price for their failure to provide any effective opposition to Blair."

"The big swing/Lib Dem win is a triumph for Charles Kennedy who campaigned strongly in support of Sarah Teather. In contrast, Tony Blair has lost the confidence and the trust of many people".

"The result is dramatic - but is part of the continuing story of the rest of the Lib Dems, polling 30% across Great Britain in May, much higher than we were in the polls at the same stage of the last Parliament and we are set to make many more gains from all other parties."