THE Liberal Democrats stormed to a totally unexpected victory in yesterday's Dunfermline & West Fife by-election. A swing of 16.24% saw candidate Willie Rennie home with a majority of 1,800.

By Graham Dines

THE Liberal Democrats stormed to a totally unexpected victory in yesterday's Dunfermline & West Fife by-election. A swing of 16.24% saw candidate Willie Rennie home with a majority of 1,800.

The result is a huge embarrassment to Chancellor Gordon Brown, who lives in the constituency and who represents the next door division of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath.

The Tories finished a miserable fourth, dropping 2.51% of their share of the vote, even though new leader David Cameron made a visit to Dunfermline & West Fife, which include the Royal Navy base and dockyard at Rosyth.

The result in full was:

DUNFERMLINE & FIFE WEST

Liberal Democrat gain from Labour

Willie Rennie (LD) 12,391 (35.83%, +15.67%)

Catherine Stihler (Lab) 10,591 (30.63%, -16.81%)

Douglas Chapman (SNP) 7,261 (21.00%, +2.07%)

Carrie Ruxton (C) 2,702 (7.81%, -2.51%)

John McAllion (SSP) 537 (1.55%, -0.07%)

James Hargreaves (SCP) 411 (1.19%)

Thomas Minogue (Abolish Tolls) 374 (1.08%)

Ian Borland (UKIP) 208 (0.60%, -0.92%)

Dick Rodgers (Good) 103 (0.30%)

LD maj 1,800 (5.21%)

16.24% swing Lab to LD

Electorate 71,017; Turnout 34,578 (48.69%, -11.21%)

The 2005 General election result was:

Squire (Lab) 20,111 (47.44%); Herbert (LD) 8,549 (20.17%); Chapman

(SNP) 8,026 (18.93%); Smillie (C) 4,376 (10.32%); Archibald (SSP) 689

(1.63%); Borland (UKIP) 643 (1.52%)

Lab maj 11,562 (27.27%)

Turnout 42,394 (59.90%)