Jubilant Lib Dems claim they have ‘burst Boris’s bubble’ in North Shropshire

‘A bit of light has broken through the darkness,’ says ex-leader Tim Farron

North Shropshire by-election victor Helen Morgan today declared that Liberal Democrats are literally “bursting Boris’s bubble” by popping a giant blue balloon at the scene of the dramatic Tory defeat.

Hours after being confirmed as the first non-Conservative MP for the area for almost 200 years, Ms Morgan was joined by Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper and ex-leader Tim Farron to celebrate the historic result in Oswestry.

Wielding a large yellow pin, she burst the balloon marked “Boris bubble” to cheers from local activists.

Mr Farron said that “millions of people have woken up this morning feeling a bit of light has broken into the darkness” thanks to the shock result.

“It turns out that if you are incompetent, it turns out if you tell lies, it turns out that if you take the people for granted, there is a price to pay,” he said.

“Democracy and justice is alive and well in Britain and the people of North Shropshire have spoken for the whole of Britain.”

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey was unable to attend the rally as he is isolating at home after testing positive for coronavirus.

Mr Farron said that the communities of rural areas like Shropshire had been “taken for granted by the Conservatives for so long”.

“It’s not just the communities in places like North Shropshire, Cornwall, Northumberland, Cumbria, elsewhere around the country that have been taken for granted,” he said.

“It’s the people who live there who have been taken for granted. So you’re a farmer, you’ve seen your payments cut, and the Tories think you’re just going to vote for them anyway. Or you’re somebody concerned about your health service being taken away, closed down, moved further already away from you. Or you’re somebody whose expenses are going up, your costs are going up and your income is not rising with it. You are being and have been taken for granted.

“And the assumption from the Conservatives is that they can just behave how they have done - especially these last few weeks - and no-one will punish them for it.

“The result in North Shropshire shows the people of North Shropshire speaking for the people of Britain and saying ‘Enough is enough. We will not be taken for granted and things can be better than this’.”