It used to be that losing your deposit in a parliamentary by-election was seen as a bad sign for the future of party. To save it a candidate needs to secure 5% or more of the overall vote.

In Thursday’s by-elections the LDs lost their deposits in two of the seats but in the one that mattered they won with 29% swing over the Tories. They came out of Thursday looking strong.

Meanwhile, Labour lost its deposit in Somerton but gained Sellby and got very close in Hillingdon

Basically, a lost deposit is a measure of successful tactical voting campaigns where the party most likely to beat the Tories is the one that picks up the votes of other parties.

There will almost certainly not be a LAB-LD election pact but voters can work out their choices to themselves.

Mike Smithson