A TWO HORSE RACE IN ST AUSTELL & NEWQUAY

2.14.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 11th Jun 2009

Lib Dems in St Austell & Newquay are celebrating the Cornwall Council election results in the new Parliamentary seat despite a difficult time for the party across the rest of Cornwall.

The local Lib Dem team, led by prospective MP Steve Gilbert, returned more Cornwall Councillors than the Conservatives, made gains in Newquay and became the largest party on the new St Austell Town Council.

10 Liberal Democrat Cornwall Councillors were elected in St Austell & Newquay, compared to 7 for the Tories, 5 Independent Councillors and 1 from Mebyon Kernow.

Hamish McCallum, the Lib Dem campaign manager in St Austell & Newquay, said: "Across Cornwall the Lib Dems got a kicking but in St Austell & Newquay we bucked the trend winning seats in Newquay and becoming the largest party in St Austell. Labour failed to get a single Councillor elected anywhere in Cornwall. We now face the prospect of a general election sooner rather than later and it will be a two horse race between local Lib Dem Steve Gilbert and the Conservative candidate from upcountry, Labour are out of the race."