Ed Vaizey

Naturally, the news media is concentrating on Labour’s woeful fifth place showing in the Henley by-election, because that has the most impact on the national picture.  But the real story for me is the Lib Dems’ failure to show their usual by-election success.  Two years ago, in Bromley and Chiselhurst, they came within an ace of taking the seat from us.  On the same swing, they would have taken Henley.  But they barely increased their share of the vote, and I would argue that, as this was a by-election, that “barely” translates as a disaster for them and their candidate Stephen Kearney.

The Lib Dems showed their usual hypocrisy and penchant for dirty tricks throughout the by-election.  When it was pointed out their candidate came from Plymouth (where he had contested the City elections on 1 May and declared “I am settled in Plymouth and I love it”) the Lib Dems hit back - this must be a positiove campaign!  They then proceeded to smear the Conservative candidate with a number of completely untrue or misleading stories.  Breathtaking!

Their campaign was entirely negative, but it ended up biting them in the ankles.  They accused John of voting through council tax increases, without pointing out that they voted for bigger rises themselves.  They said local schools were doing badly and underfunded, until the schools themselves hit back.  And they constantly referred to their candidate as local when everyone knew he wasn’t, and that really annoyed people.

Finally, the Tories ran an exemplary, positive campaign.  We responded to the Lib Dem smears, but then quickly moved back to the positive. It worked.  John Howell more than deserves his victory and he will be an excellent MP.

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