Lib Dems on track for 'best results in a century' in shock exit election poll results
E d Davey's campaign stunts have captured the nation's imagination - and it appears to have paid off in the polls.
Ed Davey’s Liberal Democrats are on track for the party’s “best results in a century”, according to a general election exit poll.
His party could increase their presence in Parliament more than five-fold, compared with the 2019 general election.
Exit poll forecasters have said Sir Ed’s party is on course for 61 seats.
The Lib Dems won just 11 seats almost five years ago when the Conservative Party secured an 80-seat majority in the House of Commons under Boris Johnson.
As polls closed, Sir Ed said: “The Liberal Democrats are on course for our best results in a century, thanks to our positive campaign with health and care at its heart.
“I am humbled by the millions of people who backed the Liberal Democrats to both kick the Conservatives out of power and deliver the change our country needs.
“Every Liberal Democrat MP will be a strong local champion for their community standing up for the NHS and care. Whether you voted for us or not, we will work day in and day out and we will not let you down.”
The Lib Dems declared victory in 12 seats by 1am, including Wimbledon, Guildford and North Cornwall.
A Liberal Democrat source said: “We are declaring victory in Davey's dozen, the first 12 of many wins we're expecting.
“From the West Country to Greater Manchester, the map is being painted gold as Liberal Democrats sweep to victory in the Conservative Party's former heartlands."
Sir Ed toured the country during the election campaign taking part in stunts including toppling off a paddleboard in Windermere, playing tennis in Newbury and surfing near Bude in Cornwall.
Seats that the Liberal Democrats could win include Godalming and Ash in Surrey, where party candidate Paul Follows is up against Chancellor Jeremy Hunt; Chichester in Sussex where Jess Brown-Fuller is Education Secretary Gillian Keegan’s challenger; and Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, where Justice Secretary Alex Chalk could finish behind Max Wilkinson.
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The party deputy leader Daisy Cooper said the Lib Dems had wanted to “unseat as many Conservative MPs as possible”, and admitted some people had voted “tactically” while others would have supported her party “positively for our vision on the NHS and social care”.
A Liberal Democrat spokesman said Thursday looks like it will be a “fantastic night” for the party.
He said: "Ed Davey's positive campaign, his personal story and him putting care at the heart of the debate have resonated with millions of people.
“Within four years, Ed's leadership has turned the Liberal Democrats into an election-winning party that listens to people and works hard all year round."
