Labour hold Ealing Southall - LibDems second - "Humiliating rebuke" to Cameron

This is something of a live blog. The early bits are at the beginning and the later updates at the end (sort of!). Jo Cowling of the BBC is reporting that Labour have held Ealing Southall. Chris Rennard and Ed Davey are leading some very smiley LibDems with a photo call at the front of the stage. Jo Cowling says, Labour hold, LibDems second!

43% turnout (57% last time)

Numbers from the BBC are:

Ealing Southall results:

Virendra Sharma (Lab) 15,188 (41.48%, -7.28%)
Nigel Bakhai (LD) 10,118 (27.63%, +3.19%)
Tony Lit (C) 8,230 (22.48%, +0.91%)
Sarah Edwards (Green) 1,135 (3.10%, -1.52%)
Salvinder Dhillon (Respect) 588 (1.61%)
Dr Kunnathur Rajan (UKIP) 285 (0.78%)
Yaqub Masih (Ch P) 280 (0.76%)
Jasdev Rai (Ind) 275 (0.75%)
John Cartwright (Loony) 188 (0.51%)
Sati Chaggar (Eng Dem) 152 (0.42%)
Gulbash Singh (Ind) 92 (0.25%)
Kuldeep Grewal (Ind) 87 (0.24%)
Lab maj 5,070 (13.85%)
5.24% swing Lab to Lib Dems

The winning Labour man describes this as a "humiliating rebuke" to David Cameron.

The BBC report this as a "cut" in the Tory vote. It is a percentage increase but an absolute votes cut.

BBC report is here.

Tony Lit agrees with Jo Cowling that the Tories thought and hoped they would do better. "It's a by-election" seems to be Lit's defence.

Lit says that Cameron's five visits show his commitment to the campaign. Shame Cameron didn't visit eight times like Ming Campbell.

There was a swing from Labour to LibDems and from the Conservatives to the LibDems.

5.4% swing to the LibDems.