Press release from Burnley Lib Dems:

A sixteen percent swing to the Liberal Democrats saw local campaigner Allen Harris elected Councillor for the Brunshaw Ward in a Burnley Borough Council by-election last night.

Allen and the Liberal Democrats comfortably beat the British National Party for the former Labour seat. The BNP vote dropped from their May 2006 total – the last time they fought the Brunshaw seat.

Allen Harris’ win confirmed the Liberal Democrats in their leadership of Burnley Borough Council, which they took up following last year’s local elections, after many years of Labour rule in the town.

A second Burnley by-election yesterday in the Daneshouse with Stoneyholme Ward saw Liberal Democrat candidate Mohammed Abdul Malik come within 38 votes of winning.

It was an uncomfortable night for Burnley Labour MP Kitty Ussher as the Liberal Democrats polled over 350 more votes than Labour across the two by-elections.

The last General Election (2005) saw a huge 9.1% swing from Labour to the Liberal Democrats in Burnley. A similar swing at the next General Election would see Labour lose the Burnley parliamentary seat to the Liberal Democrats.

David Cameron’s Tories suffered badly in the by-elections slipping back to poll a disastrous 35 votes in Daneshouse with Stoneyholme and only 90 votes in Brunshaw.

Councillor Allen Harris said “I would like to thank my fellow residents of Brunshaw and Fulledge for electing me and I look forward to working with them to improve our area. Burnley’s Liberal Democrat Council is taking action to tackle local problems like litter and to improve community safety. I will be working with them to get a better deal for  Brunshaw and Fulledge.”

Chair of the North West Region Liberal Democrats Councillor Gill Gardiner said “I congratulate Councillor Allen Harris on a great win. The Brunshaw by-election has shown again that the Liberal Democrats are effective at beating the BNP in Burnley and providing a positive alternative for local people.”

National Liberal Democrat Director of Campaigns Hilary Stephenson added “Labour’s Burnley Parliamentary seat is now clearly vulnerable to the Liberal Democrats with the Liberal Democrats achieving the strongest showing taking the total vote across the two Burnley by-elections last night. It is also clear that David Cameron’s Tories are making no progress at all in the urban north.”

Hilary was in Burnley yesterday, supporting the Liberal Democrat campaign, with key North West Liberal Democrat Campaign Staff Neil Trafford and David Roberts-Jones.