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New Labour MP Janet Daby vows to fight hard Brexit after Lewisham East by-election

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Richard Hartley-Parkinson

New Labour MP Janet Daby vows to fight hard Brexit after Lewisham East by-election

Labour MP Janet Daby celebrates with her supporters after winning the Lewisham East parliamentary by-election (Picture: PA)

Labours newest MP Janet Daby vowed to oppose hard Brexit after winning the Lewisham East by-election.

Only a third of eligible voters cast their ballot as Ms Daby held the seat with a majority of 5,629, well below the 21,213 Heidi Alexander achieved at the 2017 general election when turnout was 69per cent.

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The Liberal Democrats leapfrogged the Conservatives to take second place in a seat which voted heavily for Remain in the European Union referendum.

Ms Daby said the result showed we will not tolerate an extreme Brexit in Lewisham East.

Explaining what she had found on the doorstep during the campaign, she told reporters: One of the ongoing issues is to do with Brexit and people not wanting an extreme Brexit and ideally people not even wanting to leave the EU. I will oppose an extreme or a hard Brexit.

Labour candidate Janet Daby's shoes are carried by her husband Donald, after she won the Lewisham East parliamentary by-election at Lewisham Civic Suite, in Catford, London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday June 15, 2018. See PA story POLITICS Lewisham. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire

Tough on the feet: Her husband Donald carries her shoes for her after some tiring campaigning (Picture: PA)

I will consider peoples jobs, the economy and peoples rights and that will dictate to me the precedent in how I will conduct myself both within Parliament and out of Parliament.

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Jeremy Corbyn suffered a revolt in the Commons after ordering Labour MPs to abstain on the issue of Norway-style single market membership this week.

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Asked how much distance there was between her and Mr Corbyns views on Brexit, Ms Daby said: In terms of the single market, our Labour view on this is that we would have a new single market where we have the same access that we presently do.

For me its about ensuring that we have as close a relationship to the EU as possible and thats what Ill be arguing for and thats what Ill be putting forward my views on.

In terms of Jeremy Corbyn I voted for Jeremy Corbyn twice in the leadership election and obviously within politics not everybody will agree on everything… but we need to find a way around it that holds the Tories to account.

Labour candidate Janet Daby (centre)celebrates with her supporters after winning the Lewisham East parliamentary by-election at Lewisham Civic Suite, in Catford, London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday June 15, 2018. See PA story POLITICS Lewisham. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire

Ms Daby said the result showed we will not tolerate an extreme Brexit in Lewisham East (Picture: PA)

Ms Daby picked up 11,033 votes – a 50.2per cent share, down nearly 18 percentage points from Ms Alexanders vote share in 2017.

Lib Dem Lucy Salek had 5,404 votes, a 24.59per cent share, while the Conservative Ross Archer had 3,161 votes, a 14.38per cent share.

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The result put the Lib Dems up more than 20 percentage points, with a swing of nearly 19per cent from Labour to Lib Dem.

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Ms Salek said the result showed the party was the real opposition here.

She said: We have turned around a massive increase in our vote share. Were back and people are starting to notice.

Labour candidate Janet Daby makes a victory speech after winning the Lewisham East parliamentary by-election at Lewisham Civic Suite, in Catford, London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Friday June 15, 2018. See PA story POLITICS Lewisham. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire

One of the ongoing issues is to do with Brexit and people not wanting an extreme Brexit and ideally people not even wanting to leave the EU (Picture: PA)

This is about recognising that the people have a final say on Brexit.

But Ms Daby said: Im very aware the Lib Dems pitch themselves as being the party to oppose Brexit and my thoughts are thats probably quite misleading because they dont have much bite in Parliament.

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It was a way in which they could find a niche to try and make themselves as a reputable party.

Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable said: This result sends a message to the Labour leadership that it cannot take pro-European voters for granted.

This is the largest swing from Labour to the Liberal Democrats in over a decade and the failure of Labours leadership to oppose the Conservatives hard Brexit cannot be hidden or forgotten.

The collapse in the Conservatives vote is also damning.

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