By election results shows that only the Liberal Democrats can beat Conservatives in North West Hampshire.

9.01.56pm BST (GMT +0100) Sun 1st Aug 2004

The results in the Leicester South and Birmingham Hodge Hill Parliamentary by-elections show that the Conservatives can be beaten in the North West Hampshire constituency and that only the Liberal Democrats can do it" says Martin Tod, North West Hampshire Parliamentary Candidate for the Liberal Democrats.

On the swing in Birmingham Hodge Hill, the Liberal Democrats would come within 100 votes of winning North West Hampshire from Conservatives.

People in North West Hampshire are hurt that Labour has broken so many promises.

Above all the public doesn't feel Tony Blair can be trusted. It's a sign of the times, though, that they didn't trust the Conservatives either.

As the Tories are the 'official opposition', they should have been the obvious choice for those disillusioned with the Government, but they weren't.

The Tories were never even in the race. It's an extraordinary reflection of how much Michael Howard's party is in decline that their popularity is falling and they finished with two poor third places.

Leicester is not, as the Conservatives are trying to make out, a 'difficult' inner city seats: the Tories held it under Thatcher, and they made huge efforts to win.

The people of Leicester voted Liberal Democrat because of interest in Liberal Democrat policies, as well as disillusionment with Labour.

People in Leicester supported Liberal Democrat plans to axe the council tax. People in Leicester supported Liberal Democrat plans to scrap tuition and top up fees for students.