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Boris Johnson has suffered another crushing blow to his authority as Britain’s prime minister after the Conservatives collapsed in a heavy parliamentary defeat in North Shropshire, a Tory seat for almost 200 years.

The Liberal Democrats toppled a 23,000 Tory majority to win the rural, Brexit ballot by a margin of almost 6,000 votes, completing a disastrous 2021 end for Johnson.

Johnson will now face further Tory questions about his leadership, following weeks of self-inflicted errors and a record revolt of around 100 Tory MPs this week over his Covid policies.

Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said early Friday morning that “the party is over”[ads1]; for Johnson, a reference to reports of Christmas parties last year held by the prime minister’s staff in violation of Covid rules.

Helen Morgan, the Lib Dem candidate, won 17,957 votes, ahead of the Conservatives’ Neil Shastri-Hurst, at 12,032, a majority of 5,925. Labor’s Ben Wood finished third, with 3,686 votes. The turnout was 46.3%.

Davey called the party’s victory a “watershed moment in our politics” that gives “hope” to voters across the country “that a brighter future is possible.”

The by-election was caused by the resignation of former Minister Owen Paterson, who resigned after a corruption scandal, and the Tory campaign in the seat has been dominated by criticism of the Prime Minister.

Read more about the midterm elections in North Shropshire.