Britain’s ruling Conservative Party won a parliamentary by-election in the Copeland seat on Friday defeating the Labour in a seat they have held power since 1935, and giving Conservatives the first gain for a ruling party at a by-election in 35 years.
The Conservatives, who had been bookmakers favourites ahead of the vote, won by a margin of more than 2,000 votes from Labour.
In another by-election, Britain’s opposition Labour Party won the Stoke Central seat, fending off a challenge from the anti-European Union UK Independence Party which had hoped to capitalise on the area’s pro-Brexit stance.
Labour won by a comfortable margin over UKIP, with Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservatives in third.
The former industrial city had been a safe Labour seat since 1950, but the party’s support for staying in the EU put it at odds with 70 percent of Stoke voters who backed Brexit.
UKIP’s failure to capitalise on that sentiment, despite pouring resources into the campaign and putting party leader Paul Nuttall forward as its candidate, is expected to raise questions about the party’s ability to build its influence in parliament, where it currently has just one seat.
The damaging defeats of Labour Party and the populist UK Independence Party at separate by-elections has raised serious questions about the long-term electoral prospects of both parties.
{{/usCountry}}The damaging defeats of Labour Party and the populist UK Independence Party at separate by-elections has raised serious questions about the long-term electoral prospects of both parties.
{{/usCountry}}