Lib Dems hail ‘shockwave’ victory over Tories in Chesham and Amersham byelection – UK politics live

5.47am EDT 05:47

On the DUP leadership crisis, Ireland’s foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney has said the “last thing” Northern Ireland needs is for its largest party to be divided.

He said the DUP should be given “space” following Edwin Poots’ resignation after only three weeks in the role.

PA reports that he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme: “We’re back to square one, if you like, where the party has to find a way of electing a new leader that can unite the DUP, or at least attempts to. And that’s important for politics in Northern Ireland.”

He added that ahead of what could be “potentially a very tense summer” Northern Ireland politics needs “stability and some predictability”.

Updated at 7.17am EDT

5.34am EDT 05:34

Now for the latest on coronavirus. PA reports that new figures from Public Health England show that a total of 806 people in England have been admitted to hospital with the Delta variant of Covid-19 as of June 14 – an increase of 423 on the previous week. Of the 806, 65% were unvaccinated.

In the same period, there were 73 deaths in England of people who were confirmed to have the Delta variant.

5.23am EDT 05:23

Davey says people will now be talking about how Lib Dems are a threat to Conservatives across swaths of the country. Voters felt “ignored” and “taken for granted” he says. Davey and Green will now hold what he calls the “appalling Tory government” to account, he says. Then he promptly knocks a blue wall down with a hammer.

Results

Updated at 7.19am EDT

5.21am EDT 05:21

Ed Davey speaking now. He thanks everybody for their work and says Sarah Green’s election sends message to the whole of the country. “We are sending a shockwave through British politics.” Says it is the party’s best result ever.

Updated at 5.31am EDT

5.18am EDT 05:18

Guardian political correspondent Peter Walker in Chesham reports that the Lib Dems have installed a literal blue wall:

5.13am EDT 05:13

While we wait for news from Chesham, more reaction from Conservative MPs.

Simon Clarke, Conservative MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, tweets:

Updated at 5.13am EDT

5.02am EDT 05:02

Ed Davey is due to speak at a youth centre in Chesham at 10am in what is being billed as a “victory rally”.

4.46am EDT 04:46

In a shock result, the Liberal Democrats last night pulled off a stunning byelection victory in a formerly safe Tory seat in Chesham and Amersham.

Sarah Green secured 21,517 votes, leaving the Conservative Peter Fleet trailing with 13,489, and giving the Lib Dems a majority of 8,028.

Here are Heather Stewart and Haroon Siddique with the full story:

Leader Ed Davey will be giving a victory press conference at 10am. We will be monitoring that and the rest of the day’s events here on the liveblog. Please get in touch at miranda.bryant@guardian.co.uk with any tips or suggestions.

Updated at 5.46am EDT