Huge swing from Tories to Lib Dems in Tandridge, Surrey.

This Thursday sees the parliamentary by-election in Richmond Park; last Thursday saw a huge swing from the Conservatives to the Liberal Democrats in the council by-election in Tandridge, Surrey.

Dorinda Cooper won the Caterham Valley ward with a 12.7% swing. The results were:

• LDEM: 51.6% (+16.6)
• CON: 25.0% (-8.8)
• UKIP: 16.8% (-0.4)
• LAB: 6.6% (-7.3)

She won the seat with 444 votes, which was 219 more than the next highest vote and more than half the total of all votes cast. The last time this seat was up for election, the Lib Dem majority was just 24 votes.

Dorinda has become a Tandridge District Councillor less than six months after joining the party. She is one of the numerous new members who joined the Liberal Democrats after the referendum.

Her ward colleague, Councillor Alun Jones, said "The Tories were fuming. They thought they would take it! So a big well done to Dorinda, who is with me in the centre of the photo."