Local election results: the Liberal Democrats’ victory can’t be dismissed as a protest vote – two party politics is over Last night saw our best ever net gains of councillors since the party was first formed – our clear message has resonated

The Liberal Democrats’ results in the local elections, both in Bath and across the country, show how our clear message has resonated with voters. People are fed up with the mess orchestrated by the Conservative Government and aided by Jeremy Corbyn’s failing opposition.

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Some may try and dampen our enthusiasm, saying this is not emblematic of a true fightback, but this is wildly misguided. Last night saw the Liberal Democrats’ best ever net gains of councillors since the party was first formed. At the time of writing, we are on course for our net equivalent vote share to be its best since before the coalition. These are not small achievements that the opposition parties can water down.

Every voter for us is a vote to stop Brexit

Neither is it fair for pundits to dismiss our victory as a protest vote. The Liberal Democrats have the clearest message on Europe of any party – every vote for us is a vote to stop Brexit – and our campaign sees us firmly leading the fight for Remain, rather than just as a vote against the status quo.

The mood at the count in Bath started out as guardedly optimistic, but as win after win across the council was announced, it became electrifying. Liberal Democrats took control with a resounding victory, capturing 37 seats – a historic win and a massive resurgence for our party. Together, we welcomed a new day and a new era for Bath and North East Somerset, with a council that embodies greater diversity, fresh perspectives, energy and youth, willing to fight the tough battles ahead.

Two party politics is over

Across the country, local communities just like ours have pulled together to send a strong message to both the Tories and Labour. The time of tired old politics, dominated by two main parties, is over. There is little hope Theresa May’s chaotic government and Corbyn’s divided opposition will be able to tackle the current crises this country is facing; from knife crime to the housing crisis to the climate emergency, in part because they are paralysed by their mutual descent into a Brexit-shaped abyss.

We know this because our dedicated team of candidates and volunteers have had thousands of conversations on the doorstep. This shameful Brexit fiasco, worsened by how Labour and the Tories have conducted themselves, is transparent for all to see. The Tories have ignored this to their peril: as discovered by my parliamentary neighbour, Jacob Rees-Mogg, who now has a Liberal Democrat Councillor in his constituency.

But our win in Bath and North East Somerset was about more than Westminster chaos. Outgoing Council Leader Tim Warren suggested the result can be blamed on Brexit. I respect Tim but I disagree with this analysis. Brexit exacerbated an already bad situation. I believe voters in Bath and the surrounding area were also expressing their frustration with the inability of the Tories, both locally and nationally, to tackle issues facing our country.

The stakes have never been higher

This is not just a feeling in Bath and North East Somerset. From places such as Sunderland and Barnsley where we have taken wards off Labour, to Chelmsford where we have witnessed the Tory vote decimated, it is clear Liberal Democrats are back. These results demonstrate we could not be in a better position to fight the upcoming EU elections.

Today’s results clearly prove the Liberal Democrats are the strongest Remain-backing party in British politics. With less than 20 days until the next chance to go to the polls for the EU elections, the stakes have never been higher. The Liberal Democrats are determined, at every level of Government, to provide an exit from Brexit and return to tackling the issues that affect the daily lives of people across this country.

Wera Hobhouse is the Liberal Democrat MP for Bath