Lib Dems take seat in Sunderland's Sandhill ward by-election

The Liberal Democrats have won a Sunderland seat by a huge majority.
The new Coun Stephen O'Brien who has taken the Sandhill ward seat.The new Coun Stephen O'Brien who has taken the Sandhill ward seat.
The new Coun Stephen O'Brien who has taken the Sandhill ward seat.

Stephen O’Brien was victorious in his bid to take the Sandhill ward seat on Sunderland City Council.

The count last night saw the new Coun O'Brien take 45% of the votes.

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Gary Waller for Labour gained 25%, UKIP's Bryan Foster got 18.7%m, Conservative candidate Gavin Wilson got 10% of the votes and the Green Party's Helmut Izaks got 1.3%.

Following the results last night, which also saw the party take a seat at Three Rivers in Herfordshire, Tim Farron, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said: "We finished 2016 winning by-elections and tonight we have shown that the Lib Dem fightback is going from strength to strength.

"Thanks to the hard work of local campaigners and great candidates we have gained two new council seats and control of a council.

"Tonight we gained seats from both the Conservatives and from Labour. People up and down the country want to see an open, tolerant and united UK. It is the Liberal Democrats who are standing up and representing them, we are the real opposition to this Conservative Brexit government."