First of all, apologies for light blogging recently - busy time, unfortunately.

However, I can't let the Dunfermline by-election pass without comment, because it is the most important thing to have happened since Charles Kennedy's resignation.

The media narrative since Kennedy's downfall has been that the Lib Dems have been fundamentally damaged, even discredited; that our appeal lay in the showbiz personality of Charles Kennedy and a general, if some what fuzzy, reputation as nice, honest folk and that Kennedy's departure, followed by Mark Oaten's revelations, had forever tarnished that image. The result in Dunfermline comprehensively refutes this.

It is evidence of something that is difficult for many to appreciate: that events in the Westminster bubble are largely irrelevant to mainstream politics. David Cameron has charmed everyone at Westminster, yet the Tories were down from 10% to 8%. Conventional wisdom has it that Gordon Brown is an immensely popular PM-in-waiting, and that once Blair goes, a "Brown Bounce" will guarantee Labour victory at the next election. Yet despite Brown's personal intervention, as a resident of the contested constituency no less, Labour saw an 11,500 majority wiped out on a 16% swing.

If one based one's understanding of British politics entirely on the output of the media, then stepping out into the fresh east coast Scottish air of Dunfermline would have been like stepping into a bizarre mirror world, in which those believed to be discredited were winning, and those believed to have a political midas touch saw their efforts turn to, well, something considerably less pleasant than a bar of gold.

For Liberal Democrats, it proves that the fundamental appeal of the party is still strong - strong enough to win elections, and that's what counts. It is something many have long believed; that the fundamental position of the Liberal Democrats is good, that the real alternative to Labour is not Labour-lite in the form of David Cameron, but genuine liberalism. It is a point that blogger Cicero made today. Liberal Democrats should take strength from this victory, and be reminded that no matter what the papers say, the votes of the people shout loudest of all.