Lib Dem vote rises to 36% in the Suffolk Count Council Stowmarket North By-Election

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 18th Apr 2008

Suffolk CC, Stowmarket North

Cand: Nicky Turner.

Contact: Julia Truelove 01449 678652.

Party defending seat: Con. Cause: Resignation.

Agent Martin Redbond (tel 07717 453418)

Tories (Green) 834 - 38.6%

Lib Dems (Nicky Turner) 781 - 36.2% up from 21%

Green (Roizer) 231

Labour (McPherson) 190

UKIP (Streatfield) 114

Total Votes cast 2158

Nicky Turner fought hard to win this campaign which started in a cold wet dark March, which saw the labour vote in this constituency continue its collapse. This result follows a by-election in the ward 10 months earlier. Today we saw signs that Labour was switching to the Lib Dems and not staying at home. We were also able to squeeze the Green Vote which fell from around 290 votes last time. The Tories pulled out another 200 of their core voters to win the seat. At a time wen the Tories are rising high in the polls this result in 'true blue Suffolk' shows that we can seriously challenge the Tories anywhere. Stowmarket has seen some political changes and was at one time considered a safe Labour area, before the Tories took it off them.