Lib Dems won biggest by-election swing against government in 28 years

Liberal Democrats achieved the biggest by-election swing against a government in nearly 30 years

• The Liberal Democrats achieved the biggest by-election swing against a government in 28 years 
• The 34.1 per cent swing from the Tories to the Lib Dems in North Shropshire gave newly-elected Helen Morgan a majority of nearly 6,000 
• The only time this has been beaten in recent years was at the Christchurch by-election in July 1993 

The Liberal Democrats achieved the biggest by-election swing against a government in 28 years.

The 34.1 per cent swing from the Tories to the Lib Dems in North Shropshire gave newly-elected Helen Morgan a majority of nearly 6,000.

The only time this has been beaten in recent years was at the Christchurch by-election in July 1993. 

The Liberal Democrats achieved the biggest by-election swing against a government in 28 years

Following the death of the sitting Conservative MP, Liberal Democrat candidate Diana Maddock turned a Tory majority of more than 23,000 into a Lib Dem majority of over 16,000. 

The Tories regained the seat at the 1997 general election.

The historic record does not include by-elections where the same person retained their seat as a member of a different party. 

For example, sitting Tory MP Douglas Carswell defected to Ukip for the Clacton by-election in 2014 and won with a swing of 44 per cent.

The 34.1 per cent swing from the Tories to the Lib Dems in North Shropshire gave newly-elected Helen Morgan a majority of nearly 6,000

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