The LibDems won the Chesham & Amersham by-election over night with a massive 25% swing against the Tories. The party overturned Dame Cheryl Gillan’s rock solid 16,000 majority, creating a presumably solid 8,000 vote lead over the Tories’ second place showing. In the words of Ed Davey this morning, “The blue wall can be smashed by the LibDems“…

The issues that swung it appear to be opposition to HS2 and planning relaxation allowing new home building. Older Tory voters just do not want young people to have new homes near them. Theresa May and to some extent Margaret Thatcher before her, always feared that planning reform permitting building in the Tory dominated green belt was an electric rail that should not be touched for electoral reasons. Depressing for younger voters who want to start a family somewhere nice…