General election 2010: Solihull is surprise Lib Dem hold
Liberal Democrat Lorely Burt remains Solihull’s MP – but has replaced her 279-seat victory margin with a majority of just 175.
Boundary changes technically made the result a Lib Dem gain, with Ms Burt taking 42.9% of the vote.
Tory challenger Maggie Throup was agonisingly close behind, taking 23,460 votes to Ms Burt’s 23,635.
The extremely marginal seat was privately expected by many Lib Dems to be a likely victim of the Tory threat.
But despite stronger Lib Dem prospects falling mainly to the Conservatives, Ms Burt succeeded in clinging on.
Her husband Richard Burt fared less well, however. Despite a well-organised campaign in the rural West Worcestershire seat Harriett Baldwin built on Sir Michael Spicer’s majority with the swing towards the Conservatives.
