The Liberal Democrats in Chelmsford saw their vote share more than double in yesterday's election, as they were reconfirmed as the main challenger to the Conservatives.

• Conservative 55% - up 2%
• Lib Dem 25% - up 13%
• Labour 18% - down 12%

Commented Candidate Marie Goldman, "I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone in Chelmsford who placed their trust in me and the Lib Dems yesterday by voting for us. Some people are long-time liberal voters, some were just lending us their vote, and some had switched to vote for us from another party for the very first time.

...and the results are in for the Saffron Walden Constituency

Kemi Badenough (Con) 39,714 (63.14%)

Mike Hibbs (Lib Dem) 12,120 (19.21%)

Tom van de Bilt (Lab) 8,305 (13.16%)

Coby Wing (Green) 2,947 (4.67%

Thank you to every single one of the 12,120 voters who voted for Mike - we really do appreciate your support. And a big thank you to everyone who delivered leaflets and letters, put up posters, knocked on doors and campaigned at street stalls around the constituency. We're please to be in second place, with one in five people voting for Mike. The turnout was nearly 73% - which is quite high.

I am proud to have been chosen as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the area where I was brought up and where local residents have elected me to represent them on the council.

As a Liberal Democrat MP I'd use my vote in Parliament to stop the Brexit mess, support real action to tackle the climate emergency and improve our neglected public services. I will be a strong local voice on behalf of my fellow Epping Forest residents.

Today is polling day. Polling stations are open from 7am until 10pm this evening. Use your vote to elect local councillor Jon Whitehouse to be our new MP.

Jon was bought up in Epping and local residents have repeatedly elected him to represent them on Epping Forest District Council and Epping Town Council.

If Boris Johnson's Conservatives win on Thursday, we will all lose. His destructive Brexit plan will damage our country and must be stopped. This Thursday is your chance to stop Brexit.

The Liberal Democrats are the strongest party of Remain. We want to stop Brexit and build a brighter future for people and our planet. Every vote for the Lib Dems is a clear vote for Remain.

For too many people, things aren't working as they should be. The Liberal Democrats have an ambitious plan for the future of our country, where every person, every community and our planet can thrive. This is our plan for a brighter future:

If Boris Johnson wins on Thursday, you lose.

His destructive Brexit plan will damage our country and must be stopped. Boris Johnson cares more about himself than the future of our country and he cannot be trusted. He has lied to parliament, he has lied to HM The Queen and he is lying to you.

Every extra Liberal Democrat MP will give Jo Swinson a stronger hand to stop the Conservatives. I can win here and oust Alex Burghart but I need your vote.

Are you a Postal Voter? Have you received your Postal Voting Pack from the District Council? Tuesday 10th December is really your last posting date to be absolutely sure it gets there in time. But don't despair - if you've missed the post you can deliver it by hand before 10:00 pm on Thursday 12th December to The Council Offices, London Road, Saffron Walden CB11 4ER; or on Polling Day (Thursday 12th) you can take it to any Polling Station in the Saffron Walden Constituency (for details go to https://www.uttlesford.gov.uk/polling-station-map). If you can't take it yourself, ask someone you know and trust to take it for you, but avoid getting a candidate or a party worker to hand your vote in. If you have a postal vote, you can't vote in person on polling day. You can take your Postal Voting Pack to your polling station on polling day if you want to though. If you haven't received your Postal Voting Pack yet, please contact Electoral Services at Uttlesford District Council on 01799 510431 / 510432 / 510434 or elections@uttlesford.gov.uk. If your Postal Voting Pack is lost they may be able to issue a replacement if you go in person with suitable identification (passport, photo driving licence, utility bill etc) to the Council Offices in Saffron Walden before 5:00 pm on Polling Day (Thursday 12th December).

David Kendall has today challenged the Conservative candidate to rule out a no-deal Brexit in December 2020.

The challenge from the Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Brentwood & Ongar, just a few days before polling day, follows Boris Johnson refusing to rule out a no-deal exit from the EU.

Under the Conservative Party's plan, the UK will have until December 2020 to deliver the second phase of negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with the EU. However, the plans also say Boris Johnson will not seek any extension despite overwhelming evidence showing that time-frame is near impossible.

This means that the Tories are signing up to crash the UK out of the EU without a deal, the Liberal Democrats claim.

This is why David has today written to Alex Burghart, the Conservative candidate, to ask him to rule out a no-deal Brexit in December 2020 which would cause severe economic damage and put jobs at risk in Brentwood & Ongar.

Kendall said:

"It is clear that the Conservatives are now effectively the party of Nigel Farage and Donald Trump. They are content to see the UK crash out of the EU without a deal.

"Boris Johnson's Brexit plan is already a disaster, but he has now made things even worse by putting the UK on a collision course with a no-deal Brexit in December 2020. That means more harm to our NHS, more uncertainty for businesses, more jobs lost.

"People in Brentwood & Ongar have a right to know if Mr Burghart supports the reckless and dangerous plan Boris Johnson is proposing. That is why I have written to him today by email to urge him to rule out supporting any deal that risks a no deal cliff edge in December 2020.

"The Liberal Democrats will continue to fight to stop Brexit. We are the strongest party for Remainers and we know that there is no deal as good as the one we have in the EU."

Notes

"Our penny on income tax ringfenced for the NHS is going down well on the doorstep" says Mike Hibbs, our Lib Dem candidate in the Saffron Walden Constituency. "Voters understand the urgency and appreciate the clarity of how our promise will be funded." The Liberal Democrats are the only party with a long-term plan for health and social care. To tackle the immediate problem we will raise an additional £7 billion a year, ringfenced to be spent only on the NHS and Social Care services. This revenue will be generated from a 1p rise in the basic, higher and additional rates of income tax. Full details of the proposals in our Manifesto. Go to www.libdems.org.uk/plan, scroll down and click on Our Plan for Health and Social Care.

Chelmsford is already safer, greener, fairer and better connected http://cm.lib.dm/a71b2P with a Liberal Democrat-led council, but could do so much more with Marie Goldman as Chelmsford's MP.

• press for national action on the climate emergency. Lib Dems have already started to make Chelmsford Safer and Greener: http://cm.lib.dm/a91b2N
• stand up for public services, including NHS, schools and affordable housing. Lib Dems have already started to make Chelmsford Fairer: http://cm.lib.dm/a31b2P