Lib Dems target Tories after poll success

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 11th Jun 2001

Liberal Democrats in Feltham and Heston achieved their best general election result since 1987 in Thursday's poll.

The 4.7% rise in their support made then the only party to increase their share of the vote in the constituency, as Labour fell by half a per cent, the Tories by 2.8%, and the other parties by 1.4%.

Candidate Andy Darley said the party's sights were firmly set on overtaking the Conservatives at the next election:

"For the first time since the Feltham and Heston seat was created, we are in striking distance of second place.

"During next year's council elections we aim to consolidate our strength in Bedfont, Feltham and Hanworth, where we earned over 30% of the votes in 1998 and are the only opposition to Labour, and to look at fresh challenges in Heston and Cranford."

Andy said that during the general election campaign he had been contacted by supporters of both Labour and the Conservatives who felt let down by their parties' poor records and were planning to vote for him.

"It's clear we have attracted support from across the political spectrum during the campaign. I predict this is a trend that will accelerate as time goes on," he said.