LIBERAL Democrat Stephen Williams swept to victory in Bristol West with a massive majority.

He polled 26,593 votes, more than the total for Labour's Paul Smith and the Tories' Nick Yarker put together.

Mr Williams, who won the seat from Labour in 2005, said it was a truly historic result – but he said he hoped it would be the last time he won in such a way.

Although at the time of the declaration – 3.30am – it was too early to say what influence his party would have in the formation of the next Government, he pledged that he would do all he could to secure electoral reform.

"First past the post is a clapped-out system that must go," he said.

"I and my Liberal Democrat colleagues will be working for a genuinely reformed Parliament and voting system."

His call was backed by other candidates, who all stressed the civilised and cordial campaign in the constituency and the areas of agreement reached during many debates and hustings.

Ricky Knight of the Green Party said: "It has been an example of how consensual politics could work."

Independent Danny Kushlick, who fought the seat under the banner of comedian Mark Thomas's People's Manifesto, said: "We are looking for a new way of doing politics and a new way of representing people that are not represented by the political parties."

Mr Kushlik said 2010 must also be the last election in which the major parties shied away from putting the legalisation of drugs on the agenda.

Mr Smith, who was Bristol's youngest city councillor in the 1980s, said: "The people I have met and the communities I have worked with during this campaign have inspired me to get back involved in the life of this city.

"There is a huge amount of talent which is not properly being brought together."

Mr Smith said he hopes to work on some of the issues that have been raised by Mr Knight and Mr Kushlik.

Mr Yarker, a former Clifton College student, said it had been a privilege to come back to Bristol to contest the election in Bristol West.

The majority of 11,366 for Mr Williams was more than double the margin in 2005, when he took the seat from Labour's Valerie Davey.

The constituency had been regarded as a three-way marginal, having been held before 1997 by Tory grandee William Waldegrave.

It was once described as the brainiest seat in the country because it has so many voters with doctorates.

Mr Williams, 44, a former Bristol City and Avon County councillor, who was the Lib Dems' spokesman on higher education in the last Parliament, may have benefited from the large number of students in the constituency, which includes Bristol West. It is thought that many young voters were inspired by the party's leader Nick Clegg's performance in the televised debates.

The turnout in Bristol West was 66.9 per cent, less in 2005. This is probably due to boundary changes, which saw the seat lose areas such as Henleaze, Westbury-on-Trym and Stoke Bishop but take in the more deprived wards of Easton and Lawrence Hill.

The result was a disappointment for Labour, who had been targeting the seat.

The count took place in the sports hall at the City Academy in Lawrence Hill. Supporters of the candidates gathered upstairs and watched the fascinating national picture as they waited for the ballots to be sorted.

The seat includes the city centre, the central office quarter, the docks, Cabot Circus and the Bristol Royal Infirmary.