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| Tories hold Witney and Labour retains Batley and Spen in byelections | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Labour’s Tracy Brabin has been elected as MP for the constituency of Batley and Spen, succeeding Jo Cox, who was killed in her constituency a week before the EU referendum. | Labour’s Tracy Brabin has been elected as MP for the constituency of Batley and Spen, succeeding Jo Cox, who was killed in her constituency a week before the EU referendum. |
| In the Witney byelection, held on the same day to replace David Cameron, Robert Courts held the seat for the Conservatives. The Liberal Democrats, fourth in the constituency in the general election last year, surged to second place with a 19% swing. Labour dropped to third. | In the Witney byelection, held on the same day to replace David Cameron, Robert Courts held the seat for the Conservatives. The Liberal Democrats, fourth in the constituency in the general election last year, surged to second place with a 19% swing. Labour dropped to third. |
| Brabin, an actor and television writer, was elected in Batley and Spen with 85% of the vote on a 26% turnout, with all of the nine candidates standing against her losing their deposits. | Brabin, an actor and television writer, was elected in Batley and Spen with 85% of the vote on a 26% turnout, with all of the nine candidates standing against her losing their deposits. |
| The Conservatives, Greens, Ukip and the Liberal Democrats had declared they would not field a candidate as a mark of respect to Cox, leaving the path clear for a Labour win. | The Conservatives, Greens, Ukip and the Liberal Democrats had declared they would not field a candidate as a mark of respect to Cox, leaving the path clear for a Labour win. |
| Nine fringe candidates – many from far-right parties – did stand. Therese Hirst for the English Democrats came second with 969 votes. The BNP’s David Furness was third with 548. | Nine fringe candidates – many from far-right parties – did stand. Therese Hirst for the English Democrats came second with 969 votes. The BNP’s David Furness was third with 548. |
| Speaking over heckles – “She’s a racist”, “It’s called democracy, love” and “Coronation Street” – from her opponents at the count centre in Huddersfield, Brabin said: “I want to start by thanking the wonderful people of Batley and Spen – my home community that I’m so proud of. This has been a difficult experience for all of us, and tonight is a bitter-sweet occasion for me. That this byelection has had to take place at all is a tragedy.” | Speaking over heckles – “She’s a racist”, “It’s called democracy, love” and “Coronation Street” – from her opponents at the count centre in Huddersfield, Brabin said: “I want to start by thanking the wonderful people of Batley and Spen – my home community that I’m so proud of. This has been a difficult experience for all of us, and tonight is a bitter-sweet occasion for me. That this byelection has had to take place at all is a tragedy.” |
| She paid tribute to the mainstream parties for “recognising the deeply sad nature” of the byelection and deciding not to stand. She said she had met many people who did not usually vote Labour, but had done so this time as “a reaction to some of the fringe parties who chose to try and use this tragic byelection as an opportunity to sow division”. | She paid tribute to the mainstream parties for “recognising the deeply sad nature” of the byelection and deciding not to stand. She said she had met many people who did not usually vote Labour, but had done so this time as “a reaction to some of the fringe parties who chose to try and use this tragic byelection as an opportunity to sow division”. |
| There was a modest police presence at the count. | There was a modest police presence at the count. |
| At the Witney byelection, the Liberal Democrats saw their biggest swing in two decades, leapfrogging Labour and Ukip to take second place. | At the Witney byelection, the Liberal Democrats saw their biggest swing in two decades, leapfrogging Labour and Ukip to take second place. |
| The result in Cameron’s former seat was still a comfortable win for Robert Courts, a barrister and local councillor, but his tally was more than 17,000 votes behind those cast for the former prime minister in 2015. | The result in Cameron’s former seat was still a comfortable win for Robert Courts, a barrister and local councillor, but his tally was more than 17,000 votes behind those cast for the former prime minister in 2015. |
| After a short speech in which he thanked his wife and family and praised his “brilliant” predecessor, Courts left the count without speaking to the media. | After a short speech in which he thanked his wife and family and praised his “brilliant” predecessor, Courts left the count without speaking to the media. |
| Few would have bet against the Conservatives in this seat. Witney has had a Tory MP since its creation in 1983, and at no time has the candidate had less than 43% of the vote share. | Few would have bet against the Conservatives in this seat. Witney has had a Tory MP since its creation in 1983, and at no time has the candidate had less than 43% of the vote share. |
| However, as an affluent, liberal part of the country that recorded a strong remain vote in the EU referendum, senior Lib Dems said they saw west Oxfordshire as a test ground for more winnable seats. The party hoped to capitalise on the fact that Cameron’s chosen successor had voted for Brexit. | However, as an affluent, liberal part of the country that recorded a strong remain vote in the EU referendum, senior Lib Dems said they saw west Oxfordshire as a test ground for more winnable seats. The party hoped to capitalise on the fact that Cameron’s chosen successor had voted for Brexit. |
| Liz Leffman, the Lib Dem candidate, said the result was a “shot across the bow” of Theresa May. “People here don’t want to come out of the single market, they don’t want jobs at risk and that’s what we were voting on today. People who voted for me are traditional Conservatives, who have voted Conservative for decades. Mrs May is the new Ukip and people are not comfortable with a party lurching in that direction.” | Liz Leffman, the Lib Dem candidate, said the result was a “shot across the bow” of Theresa May. “People here don’t want to come out of the single market, they don’t want jobs at risk and that’s what we were voting on today. People who voted for me are traditional Conservatives, who have voted Conservative for decades. Mrs May is the new Ukip and people are not comfortable with a party lurching in that direction.” |
| Watching the count in the Windrush leisure centre, Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Alastair Carmichael said the result should not be taken in isolation. “What we are getting very strongly here, as a part of the country that voted to remain, is that the idea of walking away from the single market, the unpleasantness from Amber Rudd at Tory conference, these things have not played well in a constituency like this. | Watching the count in the Windrush leisure centre, Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Alastair Carmichael said the result should not be taken in isolation. “What we are getting very strongly here, as a part of the country that voted to remain, is that the idea of walking away from the single market, the unpleasantness from Amber Rudd at Tory conference, these things have not played well in a constituency like this. |
| “These people liked David Cameron, his brand of centre-right Conservatism and the modernity of it. And they look at what they’ve got now instead and they don’t like it.” | “These people liked David Cameron, his brand of centre-right Conservatism and the modernity of it. And they look at what they’ve got now instead and they don’t like it.” |
| The party threw extensive resources into the fight, shipping down more than 1,000 activists one weekend and with Lib Dem leader Tim Farron visiting the constituency five times. | The party threw extensive resources into the fight, shipping down more than 1,000 activists one weekend and with Lib Dem leader Tim Farron visiting the constituency five times. |
| In the hall, several other candidates from more minor parties complained they had had a hostile reception on the doorstep, because locals complained of being besieged by Lib Dem canvassers. “I’m not sure if that might have actually put some people off,” one candidate grumbled. | In the hall, several other candidates from more minor parties complained they had had a hostile reception on the doorstep, because locals complained of being besieged by Lib Dem canvassers. “I’m not sure if that might have actually put some people off,” one candidate grumbled. |
| Tory sources began briefing early that they were expecting to lose a significant share of the vote, and last Saturday May joined Cameron on the stump in Oxfordshire, breaking the convention that prime ministers do not campaign in byelections. | Tory sources began briefing early that they were expecting to lose a significant share of the vote, and last Saturday May joined Cameron on the stump in Oxfordshire, breaking the convention that prime ministers do not campaign in byelections. |
| Home office minister Brandon Lewis said the party considered it a good result. “This is almost exactly the same as David Cameron got when he first stood. We’ve seen Labour crashing, Ukip crashing and the Lib Dems benefiting from that but the reality is Robert’s got a very good majority and a clear win for the Conservatives.” He denied it was unusual for Courts to have left the count abruptly. | Home office minister Brandon Lewis said the party considered it a good result. “This is almost exactly the same as David Cameron got when he first stood. We’ve seen Labour crashing, Ukip crashing and the Lib Dems benefiting from that but the reality is Robert’s got a very good majority and a clear win for the Conservatives.” He denied it was unusual for Courts to have left the count abruptly. |
| Labour’s candidate, local councillor Duncan Enright, slid from second in 2015 to third, though party sources said vote share in Labour pockets had held up well. Allies of Enright, who had called for Jeremy Corbyn to step down as Labour leader during the crisis in the party over the summer, said they had expected to fall behind the Lib Dems. | Labour’s candidate, local councillor Duncan Enright, slid from second in 2015 to third, though party sources said vote share in Labour pockets had held up well. Allies of Enright, who had called for Jeremy Corbyn to step down as Labour leader during the crisis in the party over the summer, said they had expected to fall behind the Lib Dems. |
| Green candidate Larry Sanders, brother of the US presidential challenger Bernie Sanders, beat Ukip for fourth place. | Green candidate Larry Sanders, brother of the US presidential challenger Bernie Sanders, beat Ukip for fourth place. |
| Brabin, who was a friend of Cox, grew up in a council flat in Howden Clough in the Batley and Spen constituency. She played Tricia Armstrong in Coronation Street from 1994-97, Roxy Drake in EastEnders in 2001 and Carole in Emmerdale in 2014. Brabin has also written for shows including Heartbeat, Shameless, Family Affairs, Crossroads and Hollyoaks. | Brabin, who was a friend of Cox, grew up in a council flat in Howden Clough in the Batley and Spen constituency. She played Tricia Armstrong in Coronation Street from 1994-97, Roxy Drake in EastEnders in 2001 and Carole in Emmerdale in 2014. Brabin has also written for shows including Heartbeat, Shameless, Family Affairs, Crossroads and Hollyoaks. |
| It was Cox who first suggested to Brabin that she stand for parliament, while they were campaigning together before the 2015 general election. “While we were going door knocking, she said, ‘Tracy you should think about being an MP’,” Brabin told the Guardian last month. “The irony is horrid, isn’t it?” | It was Cox who first suggested to Brabin that she stand for parliament, while they were campaigning together before the 2015 general election. “While we were going door knocking, she said, ‘Tracy you should think about being an MP’,” Brabin told the Guardian last month. “The irony is horrid, isn’t it?” |
| Cox, 41, was killed outside Birstall library, where she was scheduled to hold a constituency surgery, on 16 June. Local man Thomas Mair has been charged with her murder and is scheduled to go on trial in November. | Cox, 41, was killed outside Birstall library, where she was scheduled to hold a constituency surgery, on 16 June. Local man Thomas Mair has been charged with her murder and is scheduled to go on trial in November. |
| Her husband, Brendan Cox, congratulated Brabin on her win. | Her husband, Brendan Cox, congratulated Brabin on her win. |
| Well done @Tracy4MP & great to see all the purveyors of hate lose their deposits #MoreInCommon https://t.co/s8ZdNAHa5L | Well done @Tracy4MP & great to see all the purveyors of hate lose their deposits #MoreInCommon https://t.co/s8ZdNAHa5L |
| Henry Mayhew, a business consultant who stood for Ukip in West Ham in 2005, said he stood as an independent candidate in protest against the decision by the major parties not to contest the seat. While the results were read, he wore a t-shirt reading: “Democracy, this ain’t.” He won 153 votes. | Henry Mayhew, a business consultant who stood for Ukip in West Ham in 2005, said he stood as an independent candidate in protest against the decision by the major parties not to contest the seat. While the results were read, he wore a t-shirt reading: “Democracy, this ain’t.” He won 153 votes. |
| “It’s an appalling situation,” said Mayhew, who is the son of Patrick Mayhew, who served as Northern Ireland secretary between 1992 and 1997. “We’ve never had this before. We’ve had a number of assassinations of MPs since the second world war and every single time we’ve had a festival of democracy after that. How can you honour a democrat by cancelling democracy?” | “It’s an appalling situation,” said Mayhew, who is the son of Patrick Mayhew, who served as Northern Ireland secretary between 1992 and 1997. “We’ve never had this before. We’ve had a number of assassinations of MPs since the second world war and every single time we’ve had a festival of democracy after that. How can you honour a democrat by cancelling democracy?” |