Conservatives avoided a 3-0 defeat but face a daunting task if they are to retain an overall majority at next election
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In the end the byelection scoreline was 2-1 to the 0pposition; a Labour triumph in Selby and Ainsty and a Lib Dem victory in Somerton and Frome, and a consolation win for the Conservatives in Uxbridge and South Ruislip. On the surface it looks like something for everyone, but the results taken together paint a truly ominous picture for the Conservatives.
The swing to Labour in Selby and Ainsty was a monster 23.7%. This is the second-highest swing to the main opposition in any government seat since 1945, with only the 1994 landslide in Dudley West (29.1%) being larger.
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