The Liberal Democrats defeated a Tory majority of 24,000 to win the Tiverton and Honiton by-election.
In his victory speech, new MP Richard Foord calls on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to “go, and go now,” promising his constituents that “I will never take you for granted.”
Richard Foord won a 6,144-vote majority in the Devon constituency on Thursday, thanks to a nearly 30% swing from the Conservatives to the Liberal Democrats.
In his acceptance speech, the new Lib Dem MP called for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to “go, and go now,” claiming that his victory had “sent a shockwave through British politics.
He stated that: “I’m humbled and filled with gratitude for the trust that the people of Tiverton and Honiton have placed in me.
“I believe we have received very positive feedback throughout our very optimistic campaign… but there is no doubt that Boris Johnson was a theme that came up on almost every doorstep.
“I believe there is a growing sense that he has outstayed his welcome as Prime Minister.”
Former Conservative MP Neil Parish resigned after admitting to watching pornography on his cellphone in parliament twice.
It is the Lib Dems’ third by-election victory over the Conservatives in the last year, following victories in North Shropshire and Chesham and Amersham.
The Conservatives suffered another major defeat on Thursday when Labour’s Simon Lightwood won the West Yorkshire seat of Wakefield by nearly 5,000 votes.
