Lib Dem vote up dramatically in Manor Ward

3.40.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 26th Oct 2007

The Liberal Democrats polled well in the Manor Ward by-election.

The Liberal Democrat share of the vote went up dramatically in the Manor Ward by-election yesterday. Lib Dem candidate John Gibson increased his share of the vote from 20% in May to almost 34% in the by-election, pushing Labour into a poor third place. The election for a seat on Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council was caused by the resignation of a Labour councillor.

When all three seats in Manor Ward were up for election in 2004, Labour won two seats and the Conservatives won one, with the Liberal Democrats trailing in third place. The Conservatives had a convincing win over Labour in the regular election in May this year, which makes the Lib Dem performance yesterday all the more impressive. The Liberal Democrats are now in a strong position to gain a Manor Ward seat next May. Manor Ward is in the Labour held constituency of Crosby.

The full result of the by-election for the Manor Ward of Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council on Thursday 25th October 2007 was as follows:

David McIvor (Conservative) 922 votes (40.5%, -7.6%)

John Gibson (Liberal Democrat) 769 votes (33.8%, +13.4%)

Sue Hanley (Labour) 419 votes (18.4%, -13.1%)

Micheal McDermott (BNP) 94 votes (4.1%, +4.1%)

Peter Harper (UKIP) 71 votes (3.1%, +3.1%)

Conservative gain from Labour

The composition of Sefton Council is now Lib Dem 26, Labour 21, Conservative 19.