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The New Democrats were trampled by the United Conservative Party in the suburban byways of Calgary-Lougheed on Thursday.

Government candidate Phillip van der Merwe polled a dismal 16.8 per cent of the byelection vote. Liberal Leader David Khan had 9.3 per cent.

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UCP Leader Jason Kenney scored 71.5 per cent, beyond even the UCP’s wildest hopes.

Premier Rachel Notley airily waves this off, saving you can’t expect any other result when a major party leader is running on his home turf.

That may soothe tender egos, but there’s only bad news here for the NDP.

This is the third Calgary byelection the New Democrats have lost since their 2015 victory in the province at large. They were thumped in both Calgary-Greenway and Calgary-Foothills. And, now, they’re humiliated in Lougheed.

Results showed the NDP is vulnerable on both its progressive and conservative flanks. The Liberals nibble away at the New Democrats’ natural centre-left base, while the UCP corrals virtually all the conservative resentment with NDP economics.