Lib Dems take Yardley as Labour hold the rest of the city

The Liberal Democrats have won Birmingham Yardley from Labour at the general election, while Labour held on to its other seats in the city.

John Hemming, the leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the city council, took the seat after the count on 5 May. The former Education Secretary Estelle Morris, who had held Yardley for Labour since 1992, stood down at this election.

A long campaign

Hemming has fought Yardley at several elections and came close to winning it four years ago. The Liberal Democrats have built up a strong base in the area over many years through local campaigning, and hold many of the council seats in the constituency.

A businessman who founded a software company, he is also a senior figure at the Council House, where the Liberal Democrats run the city in partnership with the Conservatives.

Yardley has a reputation as a bellwether seat, with its MP usually coming from the party that wins the general election. This time it has gone against the national trend.

Labour holds on

Across the rest of Birmingham, Labour kept its seats, though with reduced majorities in many places. The war in Iraq and the collapse of MG Rover at Longbridge last month were both issues on the doorstep.

In Northfield, which includes Longbridge, Richard Burden held the seat for Labour. He has been closely involved in the efforts to save the car maker, and the loss of more than 5,000 jobs was a major theme of the campaign in the south of the city.

In Sparkbrook and Small Heath, Roger Godsiff held the seat for Labour, but Salma Yaqoob of the Respect party came a strong second. Respect, which campaigned strongly against the Iraq war, won support among Muslim voters in the inner city.

In Sutton Coldfield, the Conservative Andrew Mitchell held his seat comfortably, and remains the only Conservative MP in the city.

National picture

Nationally, Labour has won a third term under Tony Blair, but with a much smaller majority than in 2001. The Conservatives under Michael Howard gained seats, and the Liberal Democrats under Charles Kennedy won their largest number of MPs since the 1920s.

The result in Birmingham reflects that picture: Labour remains the dominant party in the city's parliamentary seats, but its grip has loosened. At the Council House, Labour was removed from power last year after two decades running the city.

What it means

For Hemming, the challenge will be to hold Yardley at the next election, as Labour is expected to fight hard to win it back. He has said he will be a strong voice for the constituency in Parliament.

For voters, the result means Birmingham now has MPs from three parties, a sign of how the city's politics are changing.