It’s happened. Early this morning the Liberal Democrats managed to cause an upset and overturn Zac Goldsmith’s 23,000 majority in the Richmond Park by-election. Sarah Olney, the winning Lib Dem candidate, won just under 50pc of the entire vote, with 20,510 votes to Goldsmith’s 18,638 — earning her a majority of 1,872.
Since Goldsmith stepped down over Heathrow to stand as an independent, the Lib Dems have piled all their time and resources into winning back the seat, which they held until 2010. As the weeks have gone on, the party have grown increasingly confident about their chances — releasing internal polling on Wednesday which predicted a narrow win, with one Lib Dem source describing the race as ‘tighter than a duck’s arse’. Despite this, the result can be classed as a political upset. Figures in the Conservative party were certain — even last night — that Goldsmith would manage to keep his seat, thanks to his large majority and popularity with locals.
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