VOTERS in Richmond Park must be heaving sighs of relief. The triumph of Sarah Olney, the Liberal Democrat candidate, on December 1st brought to an end campaigning in the constituency’s by-election. No longer will Tim Farron, the party’s leader, and his amber army accost them on every street corner. Ms Olney seized almost half of the vote, a swing of 22 percentage points compared with the Lib Dems’ share there last year. Her dramatic unseating of Zac Goldsmith, who had resigned from the Conservative Party to recontest his seat as an independent in protest at the government’s plan to build a third runway at nearby Heathrow airport, owed much to Brexit. Mr Goldsmith had campaigned to Leave, whereas 70% of Richmond voters, like the Lib Dems, wanted to Remain.

Ms Olney’s party is now positioning itself as the voice of Remainers. It is hoping that voters who deserted the party in droves in 2015, angered by its coalition with the Conservatives, will return, fired up by opposition to Brexit. The flipside may be unpopularity in places that voted to Leave. As The Economist went to press on December 8th, the Lib Dems were expected to fare less well in another by-election, in Sleaford and North Hykeham, where 62% of voters cast their ballots for Brexit.

The focus on Europe may alter the party’s approach to targeting seats in the next general election. Usually parties focus on marginal seats where they need to boost their share of the vote only slightly to seize control. In Torbay, for example, the Lib Dems would need a swing of just 3.5% to take the seat from Conservatives. But with only 37% there having voted Remain, even such a small shift could be tough for a party beating the drum for Europe. They might have more luck in seats such as Hornsey and Wood Green, which would require a 10% swing, but where 76% of voters favoured staying in the EU.

Worryingly for the Lib Dems, that type of seat is not so common. Although 48% of all voters opted to Remain, their concentration in cities (and in Scotland and Northern Ireland) meant that Remain won the day in only about 35% of parliamentary constituencies (see chart). In setting themselves up as the party of the Remainers, the Lib Dems may also be setting limits on their success.