Labour has lost another London council by-election as the party continues to deal with backlash over how it has handled the war in Gaza.
The Lib Dems stormed to victory in the poll for the West Hampstead seat on Camden Council on Thursday.
The ward is in former Treasury Minister Tulip Siddiq’s constituency but the borough also contains the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Holborn and St Pancras Parliamentary seat.
Lib Dem Janet Grauberg won 1,176 votes, more than twice as many as Labour candidate Francesca Reynolds’ 458.
Conservative Ian Cohen came third with 222 votes, followed by Reform’s Thomas Sterling (155) and the Green’s Matthew Hull (152)
A Lib Dem source put the win partly down to a “Gaza backlash” in Sir Keir’s “own backyard”.
It marks the party’s first win in the ward in 15 years and their first gain against Labour in London in three years.
Luke Taylor, Liberal Democrat spokesman for London, said: “Make no mistake, the political sands across London are shifting as today’s result proves.
“Londoners feel let down by Lazy Labour who have neglected public services and taken our great city for granted.
“Residents across London are increasingly turning to us to stand up for our local communities and deliver for them. We look forward to continuing our work at next year’s election.”
Labour has lost a number of council by-elections in the capital since Sir Keir won a landslide general election victory last July.
Pro-Gaza Independents beat Labour in an east London council by-election amid grassroots anger at the Government in March.
Noor Jahan Begum won the Redbridge council seat vacated by the borough’s former leader, Jas Athwal, who was elected a Labour MP last year.
Sir Keir’s party also suffered a surprise by-election defeat in west London amid ongoing anger over council tax increases.
Independent Theo Dennison, who had previously worked for George Galloway’s parliamentary office, won the Syon and Brentford Lock seat on Hounslow Council by just 12 votes following a poll in March.
Labour lost a central London by-election to the Tories amid the row over Sadiq Khan’s plans for Westminster and concerns about traffic changes in February.
Publican and Craft Beer Co founder Martin Hayes, who is described as a “pro-nightlife, pro-hospitality, pro-pub voice”, won the Vincent Square ward seat on Westminster Council for the Conservatives.
