By-elections: Your reaction

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy says he is delighted with both of Thursday's by-election results and claims they were "devastating" for the Conservative Party.

The Liberal Democrats overturned a big Labour majority to win the Labour seat in Leicester South and came within 460 votes of winning a second in Birmingham Hodge Hill.

Nonetheless Health Secretary John Reid insisted that the outcome was "not unsatisfactory" for Labour as the party had been governing for seven years.

And the Conservatives, who were pushed into third in both seats insisted they had never expected to do well in either contest.

It's possible that the two by-elections held yesterday could be the last test of public opinion before next year's general election.

What do these results mean for Labour? Why do you think the Lib Dems did so well? Does it weaken the Conservative challenge? Send us your reaction.

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This debate is now closed. Thank you for your comments.

Why does everyone seem so surprised? Everyone I know could see it coming a mile off.
Nathan Hobbs, Luton, UK

Liberal Democrat by-election success is always a flash-in-the-pan! But it does help to sell news during the silly season.
John , U.K.

It's not healthy for democracy when one party is treated in such a sneering way David Hazel, Fareham, UK

As someone who tends to vote Lib Dem more often than for any other party, I am glad their integrity and consistency is finally being recognised in national elections. It is worrying to see how they are still treated as an "also-ran" party by the TV news media, though. It's not healthy for democracy when one party is treated in such a sneering way by those who take it upon themselves to inform the general population.
David Hazel, Fareham, UK

As a Liberal Democrat I am under no illusion and am aware that now is too soon to celebrate. I don't want protest votes, I want people to vote for us because they want to save education & the NHS from the "choice" parties; or they see fairness in our tax policies (all costed); or how genuine we have been over the Iraq war. There is more than ever a need to ditch the Tories/Labour pandering to those that have as opposed to the fair and just policies offered by Lib Dems.
Roy Sheward, Walsall, UK

I quote "In Leicester South, Parmjit Singh Gill became the first Lib Dem MP from an ethnic minority". In Leicester the minority are in fact the white population! Some correlation between this result and the local population must surely be made.
Neil Price, UK

Now Labour and the Conservatives have got the same policies, The Lib-Dems are effectively the opposition now...
Nathan Hobbs, Luton, UK

George Galloway's Respect Coalition polled 3724 votes (12.7%) in Leicester South. Had half of those voted Labour, the Lib Dems would not have won. How ironic if Galloway delivers the final nail in the Blair coffin.
Peter, Liverpool, UK

Nothing gets better Chris, UK

Usual guff - electorate get fed up with the sitting government who are eventually booted out to be replaced by another lot of politicians who after so many years are booted out....but nothing gets better, just the taxes keep going up.
Chris, UK

Once again Labour pledge to listen to the electorate (how many times is that now?)....and then Blair carries on in his own sweet way. Pained as I am to say it, Howard is right, Tony Blair has lost all credibility. He has to go...
Craig Tanswell, Bournemouth, UK

Labour did badly because of the usual mid-term government blues. The Lib Dems did well because they always do at by-elections then fail to deliver at general elections. The Tories performed very poorly because they have NO conservative policies. Michael Howard take note and offer a real alternative not just ersatz socialism.
Derek S, UK

They have spent the last decade adopting identical, misguided policies Brian, Cambridge

What's clear from this election is how fed up people are with Labour and the Tories. And it's no surprise. They have spent the last decade adopting identical, misguided policies. People don't just look on the Lib Dems as a protest. They see them as the only party providing alternative answers.
Brian, Cambridge

Many Labour MPs will be looking at their own majorities after the humiliation of the government in these by-elections. Iraq was a major issue - this is why the Lib Dems and Respect did so well. The message seems clear for Labour - ditch pro-war Blair.
Antony Francis, London, England

Clearly some of the Lib Dem success was from protest votes - but all of it? I don't think so. People have seen the Lib Dems in power at local level, and like what they see.
Patrick Mahon, Aylesbury, Bucks

It is mildly amusing to see politicians and the media get into such a frenzy over two irrelevant by-elections.
Rob, York

The general election is starting to scare me a lot Steve, Edinburgh

The general election is starting to scare me a lot. I couldn't face another term of warmongering from Blair, still can't bring myself to trust the Tories and four years of meandering in the ocean of political uncertainty under Lib Dems just doesn't bear contemplating. Other parties (and I mean Greens, SNP, Plyd Cymru etc, not loony or BNP) have good policies on particular subjects but don't have overall completeness to form National Government. If this by-election says anything it's that PR is the only way to introduce a stable, democratic government.
Steve, Edinburgh

Is it any wonder the Tories did so badly? I'm in the Hodge Hill district and we were harassed by the Conservatives, receiving no less than eight calls via phone during the week of this election. Such bully-boy tactics will win them no supporters. I won't vote Labour but now the Tories have lost my vote too.
Jason, Birmingham, UK

People should know that Peter Soulsby headed the city council when the disastrous poll tax was introduced to Leicester. This will be difficult for Labour supporters to forgive and forget, I know that it was for me. Couple this with anti-war sentiments from other traditional Labour supporters and New Labour will lose seats, simple.
Claire Taylor, Leicester

It is clear that Labour are set to come a richly-deserved third in the forthcoming general election, the Liberals are a rag-bag of protesters and high-tax loonies and the only show in town worthy to form a government is the Conservative Party.
Graham Shelton, Oxford, England

My local council (South Gloucestershire) is run by the Lib Dems and if you lived here you'd hope they never get into government.
Pete, Yate, England

The percentage of the vote that Liberal Democrat and Respect Party candidates won is a clear message to the war-mongering Labour and Tory leaders¿ resign!
Ray, Wolverhampton, UK

These results were worse for Michael Howard than IDS did for them in Brent Chris, UK

Well done to Charles Kennedy and the Lib Dems. These results were worse for Michael Howard than IDS did for them in Brent. Now the Liberals need to concentrate on holding these gains as they did in Southwark (from Labour) and Newbury, Eastleigh and Romsey (from the Conservatives).
Chris, UK

As a life long Conservative I could never vote for The Caveat Kid. But the Tories are now pro-EU and pro-War. I have therefore been driven into pick and mix politics. UKIP or The Liberals, depending on the type of election.
Phil, Stafford, England

Yawn! These results will make no difference. Labour will still win the next general election and both Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy will lose their party leaderships.
Norman Day, Birmingham

I've never voted Lib Dem before - or wanted to - but come the next election, their democratic policies and these recent proven successes will make me go for them. Mr Hammond, UKIP is the merely the middle class alternative to the BNP and the Tory right.
Gabriel Berry, Reading, England

These by-election results show that the Conservative party really isn't an alternative for those who are disenchanted with Labour (and let's face it, there are a lot of us!) The Lib Dems did so well because they offer actual alternatives to the government, rather than the same packages repackaged in blue or red. Lets hope that the success continues, and that Howard disappears into obscurity like Iain Duncan Smith, and Blair is toppled like Thatcher.
Eva, London, UK

Two seats? This shows nothing!
Tom, England

Labour know they can no longer take the Asian vote for granted and Brent East was not just a flash in the pan.
Andi Ali, England

Why do Labour always trot out that arrogant bully John Reid? He aggressively defends the indefensible. If Labour want to undertake a charm offensive, they chose the wrong man!
Simon, England

These two by-elections were not representative of how the general election will go Rob Bluck, Birmingham

I live in Hodge Hill. I believe these two by-elections were not representative of how the general election will go. In both of these seats there are about 50% Asians. This is not so throughout the UK. However, it is surely going to be a fascinating general election. I believe Labour will win again, but the majority will be less so!
Rob Bluck, Birmingham, UK

The Lib Dems sit on the fence, that is their destiny, they won't change, they've never been outright decisive on their own - they just follow the majority, but I'm all for keeping a good distance between the Tories and any chance they think they might have of ever getting back in power, lest we forget the iron lady.
Mick

The results in both constituencies appear to suggest that the Labour government has become increasingly alienated from its core voters. Interestingly this appears to be translating into electoral gains for other left-of-centre parties rather than the Tories.
James Patterson, Brighton, UK

I'm thrilled for the Lib Dems. There was a strong anti-war vote of course, but it went to the Lib Dems because they were not afraid to say what they thought and generally they have bucked the trend of disagreeing with what the other parties have to say just because they are the other party.
Darren Fletcher, Peterborough, UK

The result of the two by-elections is not a true reflection of the mood of the country. The UK Independence party did not contest the seats, and there was a very low turnout, apathy is the true winner, at the expense of democracy.
Michael Ford, Bolton, Lancs

People only vote Lib Dem to protest against the two main parties. If anyone knew what the Lib Dems actually proposed, such as their loony tax policies, they'd run a mile. The real alternative to Tories and New Labour is the UKIP.
Guy Hammond, London, England

Charles Kennedy should not set his hopes too high! Alan Glenister, Bushey

Charles Kennedy should not set his hopes too high! The turn out at by -elections has been very poor all round and traditionally by-election results are not reflected in general elections. Nevertheless good luck to him after all his party has a complete history of inexperience at government to draw on.
Alan Glenister, Bushey, Herts, UK

The results don't mean anything much. By-elections are too localised and singular for any wider conclusions to be drawn from them - as the Lib Dems know all too well.
Mark Schiller, England

I have always voted Labour up until recently, but was really pleased to see the Lib Dems win. I've nothing against the Liberals. The parliamentary Labour party must get the message - so many are shouting it so loudly into their unhearing ears - get rid of Blair so we can vote for you again!
Nigel, Berkshire, UK

It's nice to know that people are moving in the right direction, which is from Labour to Liberal Democrats instead of moving from Labour to Conservatives. Believe me its not just about Iraq.
Toosy, Guildford, England

Well done to the Liberal Democrats, but let's face facts, they are the party of protest. Can you imagine a Liberal Democrat government? They would do nothing for four years, wait to see how the world turned out, and then tell us what policies they would have adopted given the benefit of hindsight.
Philip, UK

It means nothing. We get the usual claptrap from the Lib Dems but it's what happens in a general election that counts. After all most of the electorate couldn't be bothered to vote!
John, UK

Reid is deluding himself. Labour got a dumping. And will do at the election.
Kev, UK

The only winners are the Lib Dems. Who do Labour and the Tories think they are kidding? Labour are skating on thin ice and the Tories have been dumped on from a great height. It will be interesting to see what happens in a general election. Proportional Representation is the only way forward for a balanced government.
Kevin Miller (Tory Voter), Warrington, Cheshire

The Lib Dems take only one seat, the Tories fail to make an impact and Labour's share of the vote falls to its lowest level since 1976. Is there anything any of the main parties can be proud of?
Arron Clements, Coventry, UK

These results are not bad for any of the three main parties. This is more about Tony Blair's credibility. It is a protest vote against him and not the party. The reason the Conservatives did not make any gains is because disgruntled Labour voters could never bring themselves to vote Tory, therefore protest by voting Lib Dem. I think these seats will revert back to Labour majorities at the general election. Remember, how many by-elections have the Lib Dems won in the past but lost again at a general election. Make the most of it Mr Kennedy.
Donald, Aberdeen

Absolutely nothing - as always, the Lib Dems benefit from the protest vote. Very few supporters of the two main parties can bring themselves to jump right over, so the plump for the Liberal in the middle. The opportunistic, bandwagoneering raft of policies floated by the Lib Dems are suited to this approach, but still never quite add up when it comes to the general election.
David, Glasgow, UK