A SOUTH Cumbria MP said the Conservative Party had taken rural seats 'for granted' as he celebrated the Liberal Democrats' comprehensive North Shropshire by-election victory.

Helen Morgan secured nearly 6,000 more votes than Neil Shastri-Hurst - delivering a thumping victory in a seat the Tories had held for the best part of two centuries.

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron, who campaigned in the constituency for Ms Morgan, said the new MP would 'work tirelessly for her constituents'.

In a stunt broadcast by the BBC today, Mr Farron held a balloon saying 'Boris' bubble' which was burst by Ms Morgan with an oversized needle.

“For too long, the Conservatives have taken rural seats like North Shropshire for granted," said Mr Farron.

“During the campaign, I spoke to so many farmers who were lifelong Conservative voters but were fed up with the way that this Government were treating them.

“From fighting for our farmers to tackling the second-homes crisis, Liberal Democrats have a big opportunity, now, to show that we are the party that will stand up for rural communities in Britain.”

The seat was vacated by Owen Paterson last month. Mr Paterson resigned amid outcry over a vote from Conservative MPs to overturn his suspension after he was found by Parliament's independent sleaze investigator to have breached lobbying rules.

It has been a bruising two months for the Tories, with allegations of a Christmas Party at Downing Street last year - which would have been prohibited under Covid restrictions - ultimately leading to the resignation of Downing Street press secretary Allegra Stratton on December 8.

Barrow and Furness MP Simon Fell, a Conservative, said he was 'not surprised at all that voters chose to give the Government a kicking'.

"Clearly, we've got lessons to learn, but I don't think we can look at this result as a trend," he said.

Conservative John Stevenson, MP for Carlisle, said: "We have got to be entirely honest - the Government hasn't exactly fired on all cylinders over the last six to eight weeks and they have clearly made some mistakes that they are getting punished for."

He described the North Shropshire outcome as 'a very disappointing result' but said it was possible 'to read too much into by-elections'.