Thank You from Lucy Salek in Lewisham East

https://libdems.org.uk/join-localWe achieved an amazing result in Lewisham East - a 19% increase in our vote share!

Thank you so much to absolutely everyone that came to Lewisham to help us here, or made calls from home, and thank you so much to everyone who helped fund my campaign.

The last time we achieved such a big swing from Labour was in the 2004 election in Hartlepool - the year after Iraq and when Blair was at his most unpopular.

And the last time we did this well against Labour in opposition - when their supporters tend to back them more than they do in government - was in 1983. This makes this our best result against Labour in 35 years!

I've even been told that a 19% swing would give us a further fifteen seats from Labour in a general election.

I'm so grateful to everyone that contributed to this result - we did this together.

A few weeks ago, Paddy Ashdown told us:

"By-elections might not be able to change the Government, but shock results can change politics and change Britain."

The result in Lewisham East proved once again that the Liberal Democrats are a key political force in British politics.

But more importantly, it shows that pro-EU supporters have decided that they cannot trust Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour party to protect them from the mess the Tories are making over Brexit - or deliver a final say for the British people on the Brexit deal.

It's been such an honour to be your by-election candidate in Lewisham East and I hope we can use this campaign to continue fighting for our Liberal Democrat values across the country - with fighting for an end to Brexit at the top of the list.

I can't wait to see you all on the campaign trail next time, wherever that may be.

Lucy

Lucy Salek, parliamentary by-election candidate for Lewisham East