Turning blue wall yellow Social care is made top priority after party's best ever result

The Liberal Democrats plan to use their bestever contingent of 72 MPs to push Keir Starmer to begin crossparty talks on a new plan for social care, saying the issue was raised repeatedly by voters during their election campaign.

- Peter Walker

Lib Dem insiders said Ed Davey's party, which unseated four cabinet ministers as well as dozens of other senior Conservatives, would also seek to make sure the position of unpaid carers was considered properly by the Labour government.

The party's tally is 10 seats above the previous record of 62 in 2005. The last time they won more than this was as the Liberal party in 1923.

Among the Tories they removed were: Gillian Keegan, the education secretary; Alex Chalk, the justice secretary; and Lucy Frazer, the culture secretary. They also won seats against the Tories in the constituencies formerly held by three ex-prime ministers: Theresa May, David Cameron and Boris Johnson.