On This Day

18 September 2003

Sarah Teather wins the Brent East by-election

Sarah Teather becomes the new MP for Brent East, winning a byelection with a 29% swing against Labour. In the 2001 election, the Liberal Democrats had finished third with only 10.6% of the vote. Commenting on the result, Party Leader, Charles Kennedy said, ‘In Britain’s most diverse community, we have shown that we can speak for every section of society and the Liberal Democrat message is one they want to hear and support’. Teather held the seat (and its successor, Brent Central) until she retired in 2015. She now sits in the House of Lords.