Lib Dems celebrate by-election win

The Liberal Democrats are celebrating after a shock victory in the Dunfermline and West Fife by-election.

Lib Dem candidate Willie Rennie won the election with 12,391 votes, beating Labour's Catherine Stihler by almost 2,000 votes. The result overturned the Labour majority of over 11,500 and achieved a swing of more than 16% from Labour.

Mr Rennie said that the result of the election sent a message that would "rock the foundations" of Downing Street.

The by-election was held following the death of Labour MP Rachel Squire last month.

The result is a particular blow for Chancellor Gordon Brown whose own constituency of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath borders Dunfermline and West Fife. The chancellor had also campaigned during the by-election campaign.

The Conservatives also suffered an extremely poor showing, as their candidate Carrie Ruxton came fourth with only 2,702 votes, despite campaigning support from party leader David Cameron.

Speaking after the result, Mr Rennie said: "The voters of Dunfermline and West Fife have sent a powerful message to Downing Street that will rock the foundations of both Number 10 and Number 11.

"Labour has taken the people for granted up and down the country for too long. It is time that Tony Blair and Gordon Brown both got the message - too much spin and not enough delivery."

Transport Secretary Alistair Darling suggested that "local issues," including tolls on the Forth Road Bridge and the state of Dunfermline town centre, were behind the shock defeat.

The Liberal Democrat victory comes after a month of turmoil for the party. Early in January, leader Charles Kennedy resigned after admitting to a drink problem. He was followed by Mark Oaten, who resigned as the party's home affairs spokesperson following revelations that he had an affair with a male prostitute. Party president and leadership contender Simon Hughes also recently admitted to having homosexual relationships.

The party is currently in the middle of a leadership contest, with three candidates - acting party leader Sir Menzies Campbell, economic spokesperson Chris Huhne and Simon Hughes - in the running.

The party's 73,000-strong membership will cast their votes by March 1 and the new leader is expected to be announced on March 2.

(KMcA)