PM Theresa May shrugs off Lib Dems’ Richmond Park by-election victory by insisting Brexit is on track as Remain’s Sarah Olney ousts Zac Goldsmith

THERESA May last night insisted ministers were working full throttle to push through Brexit despite the shock ousting of Zac Goldsmith by the Lib Dems in one of the poshest seats in the country.

The pro-Brexit former Tory was catapulted out of his 23,000 strong “safe” seat yesterday following a spectacular win by the Remain-hungry Lib Dems.

New Richmond Park MP Sarah Olney shredded the multi-millionaire pulling off a stunning upset as she polled 20,510 votes to Mr Goldsmith’s 18,638 on a turnout of 53.6 per cent.

In the aftermath Mrs Olney said the result paved the way for parliament to override June’s referendum result.

And leader Tim Farron dubbed it a “historic victory” vowing theLib Dem’s fight against a “hard” Brexit would go on.

But the Prime Minister’s official spokeswoman spoilt their party as she declared: “The British people sent a very clear message on June 23 for Britain to leave the EU. The government is getting on with it.

“Our position on Brexit is clear, we are committed to leaving the EU and triggering Article 50 by the end of March.

“We had an election. We had a referendum. The majority of people voted to leave the European Union, and the Prime Minister is getting on with it.”

Crazed Europhiles leapt on the result with the EU’s chief negotiator declaring Europe was “proud” of the pro-Remain voters in Richmond Park.

Former Belgian PM and MEP Guy Verhofstadt sent a congratulatory tweet to Sarah Olney and the Lib Dems saying: “Europe is watching and we are proud”.

But his comments enraged former Cabinet Minister Iain Duncan Smith who said he should “mind his own bloody business”.

Leading Eurosceptic Tory MP Steve Baker also accused the EU official of trying to “hijack” the result.

Even ex Tory Business Minister Anna Soubry waded in describing the Lib Dem victory as “sensational” and saying politicians “ignore Remainers at their peril”.

And former Tory Chairman Grant Shapps said the Conservatives were “completely wrong” not to field a candidate in the by-election.

But senior Labour MP Chuka Umunna urged Remain campaigners to abandon calls for a second referendum saying they needed to “listen and understand” why people voted for it.

He said they risked being seen as a metropolitan elite “who think they know best”.

He added: “The 52 per cent are no more a bunch of racists and bigots than the 48 per cent are a well-heeled metropolitan elite.”