YP Letters: Election was warning from Tory voters over '˜hard Brexit'

Party leader Tim Farron and newly-elected Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Olney speak to the media on Richmond Green after she won the Richmond Park by-election.

CONGRATULATIONS to the voters of Richmond Park who rejected the headlong rush to Brexit being inflicted by Theresa May’s government.

The Liberal Democrats won because Sarah Olney’s campaign attracted a significant number of previously Conservative voters who reject the “hard Brexit” that May and her team are pushing.

Their support was vital in overturning a 2015 Tory majority of over 23,000.

I note that Sarah Olney has stated that she will vote against any move to trigger Article 50 to leave the EU. I fully back her.

The referendum in June was designed to be advisory only and the narrow (52:48) victory for Leave was obtained largely by “deception on an industrial scale” (in the words of Prof Michael Dougan, expert constitutional lawyer).

I have come round to a settled view that the referendum result does not deserve to be respected. The Remain voters’ fight-back continues.

From: Steve White, Dairy Lane, Darley.

THE Lib Dems are claiming that result in Richmond (Surrey) is an indication that the country is having second thoughts about the referendum result and the new MP will vote against any move towards Brexit.

However, in the referendum, the constituency voted by 70 per cent to stay in the EU but only 50 per cent voted in the by-election for the party that wanted to stay in the EU. By Lib Dem logic in analysing this result, it would actually appear that the support for remain is reducing.

From: Nigel Boddy, Fife Road, Darlington.

CONGRATULATIONS to the Lib Dems for their stunning win in the Richmond Park by-election. The day before polling, some newspapers predicted the Lib party was finished.

The electoral pact the Lib Dems had with the Greens might have had something to do with their victory. Figures were published showing Britain had just gone through a period of record levels of immigration, the day before polling day.

The vote shows two things about the court of public  opinion. Brexit might be called off. The alternative to Heathrow known as ‘Boris Island’ is back on.

This is the first Lib Dem by-election victory since the late great Chares Kennedy was ousted by his colleagues.

With Tim Farron as their new leader, one has to ask if the dark disasters of the Nick Clegg years are now behind the Lib Dems?