Bridget Fox thanks to supporters

Bridget Fox, the Liberal Democrat candidate, has thanked the many supporters who backed her in Thursday’s election. 14,838 people voted Liberal Democrat in Islington South & Finsbury, more than the winning Labour vote in 2005, in a hard-fought campaign that saw Labour hold the seat.

Speaking at the election count, Bridget said:

“Thank you to the tens of thousands of people who voted Liberal Democrat in Islington.

“Just as five years ago, we have the result that, despite my getting more votes as your Liberal Democrat candidate than ever before, we have come second to Labour, who were helped, perhaps inadvertently, by the Tory votes.

“Although we did not win in Islington, tonight has seen some extraordinary gains for the Liberal Democrats, winning seats from Edinburgh to Eastbourne, from Burnley to Belfast.

“Five years ago, I was the first of Emily Thornberry’s constituents publicly to congratulate her: let me do the same again now. Emily, you have said that being our MP is the best job in the world. Now I ask you, as one of your constituents, to do the best job you can. We do not know who has won nationally, but whoever wins, we know that our country faces tough times. I ask you to work with people of all parties and of none, in the interests of Islington.

“Thank you to my amazing campaign team who worked so hard. I will never regret being part of this campaign, I will never regret being a Liberal Democrat in this election; my only regret is that I did not deliver the result your efforts deserved.

“There is no shame in standing and losing: there is only shame in not caring enough to stand – and no-one could ever accuse Liberal Democrats of not caring.

“I still love Islington and my fellow Islington people, however they choose to vote. And I will continue to serve our community in whatever way I can.”

The full results are here.

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