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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| Peterborough by-election: Labour beats Brexit Party to hold seat | Peterborough by-election: Labour beats Brexit Party to hold seat |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The Labour Party has narrowly seen off a challenge from the Brexit Party and held on to its seat in the Peterborough by-election. | The Labour Party has narrowly seen off a challenge from the Brexit Party and held on to its seat in the Peterborough by-election. |
| Union activist Lisa Forbes managed to retain the constituency for Labour, beating Nigel Farage's candidate Mike Greene by 683 votes. | Union activist Lisa Forbes managed to retain the constituency for Labour, beating Nigel Farage's candidate Mike Greene by 683 votes. |
| Ms Forbes hailed her "significant" victory and said it showed people had "rejected the politics of division". | |
| The Brexit Party said "no seat is safe" after its performance. | The Brexit Party said "no seat is safe" after its performance. |
| Both parties had jostled for position as the bookmakers' favourite up until the result was announced. | |
| The recently formed Eurosceptic group was vying to secure its first MP after gaining 29 seats in the European elections two weeks ago. | The recently formed Eurosceptic group was vying to secure its first MP after gaining 29 seats in the European elections two weeks ago. |
| Brexit Party 'rejected' | Brexit Party 'rejected' |
| But, as the winner was declared in Peterborough shortly after 02:00 BST, a chant erupted from Ms Forbes' supporters. | |
| In a victory speech, she said her win had "shown that the politics of hope can win regardless of the odds". | In a victory speech, she said her win had "shown that the politics of hope can win regardless of the odds". |
| "Despite the differing opinions across our city, the fact that the Brexit Party have been rejected here in Peterborough shows that the politics of division will not win," she said. | "Despite the differing opinions across our city, the fact that the Brexit Party have been rejected here in Peterborough shows that the politics of division will not win," she said. |
| Mr Farage made a brief appearance at the count before the result was announced but left without talking to reporters. | Mr Farage made a brief appearance at the count before the result was announced but left without talking to reporters. |
| Meanwhile the Conservatives, who have traditionally tussled over the marginal seat with the opposition, fell into third place. | |
| Hard-fought campaign | Hard-fought campaign |
| BBC Look East political correspondent Ben Schofield said the Brexit Party had hoped to campaign - and win - on national issues and discontent with the "Westminster elite". | BBC Look East political correspondent Ben Schofield said the Brexit Party had hoped to campaign - and win - on national issues and discontent with the "Westminster elite". |
| But, he said, Labour's activists had managed to win by focusing on local issues. | |
| Defeated Brexit Party candidate Mr Greene said his campaign had failed to match Labour's organisation on the ground. | |
| He said: "Naturally it is a blow to lose by so few votes, but you have to remember that the Labour Party have millions of pounds to throw at elections and have been doing this for more than a hundred years. | He said: "Naturally it is a blow to lose by so few votes, but you have to remember that the Labour Party have millions of pounds to throw at elections and have been doing this for more than a hundred years. |
| "I think Peterborough deserves more than tonight's result has given them, and in time they will get it. | "I think Peterborough deserves more than tonight's result has given them, and in time they will get it. |
| "We lost a battle tonight, but we can still win the war." | "We lost a battle tonight, but we can still win the war." |
| In a tweet, the Brexit Party hailed its "remarkable result". | In a tweet, the Brexit Party hailed its "remarkable result". |
| Mr Corbyn said it was a "great win" for a "people-powered campaign". | |
| "Peterborough has shown clear support for Labour's programme to end austerity and invest in services and communities, rejecting a decade of Tory cuts and their disastrous handling of Brexit," he said. | "Peterborough has shown clear support for Labour's programme to end austerity and invest in services and communities, rejecting a decade of Tory cuts and their disastrous handling of Brexit," he said. |
| "In this key seat, the Conservatives have been pushed to the margins." | "In this key seat, the Conservatives have been pushed to the margins." |
| The view from the count | The view from the count |
| By Ben Schofield, political correspondent, BBC Look East | By Ben Schofield, political correspondent, BBC Look East |
| Lisa Forbes told me her top three priorities in office will be education, crime and cleaning up the streets. | Lisa Forbes told me her top three priorities in office will be education, crime and cleaning up the streets. |
| This was far from a Brexit Party landslide - and was a much closer contest than many had predicted. | This was far from a Brexit Party landslide - and was a much closer contest than many had predicted. |
| The Conservatives won 7,243 votes, meaning their support didn't collapse as much as Mike Greene and the Brexit Party hoped it would. | The Conservatives won 7,243 votes, meaning their support didn't collapse as much as Mike Greene and the Brexit Party hoped it would. |
| Likewise, the Lib Dems' Beki Selleck more than doubled her vote tally compared with 2017. | Likewise, the Lib Dems' Beki Selleck more than doubled her vote tally compared with 2017. |
| The Peterborough constituency has long been a Conservative-Labour marginal and, despite boundary changes over the years, is still regarded as one of England's bellwether seats. | The Peterborough constituency has long been a Conservative-Labour marginal and, despite boundary changes over the years, is still regarded as one of England's bellwether seats. |
| Full results: | Full results: |
| Brexit Party - Mike Greene - 9,801 votes | Brexit Party - Mike Greene - 9,801 votes |
| Christian People's Alliance - Tom Rogers - 162 votes | Christian People's Alliance - Tom Rogers - 162 votes |
| Common Good: Remain in the EU - Dick Rodgers - 60 votes | Common Good: Remain in the EU - Dick Rodgers - 60 votes |
| Conservatives - Paul Bristow - 7,243 votes | Conservatives - Paul Bristow - 7,243 votes |
| English Democrats - Stephen Goldspink - 153 votes | English Democrats - Stephen Goldspink - 153 votes |
| Green Party - Joseph Wells 1,035 votes | Green Party - Joseph Wells 1,035 votes |
| Independent - Andrew John Moore - 101 votes | Independent - Andrew John Moore - 101 votes |
| Independent - Bobby Smith - 5 votes | Independent - Bobby Smith - 5 votes |
| Labour - Lisa Forbes - 10,484 votes | Labour - Lisa Forbes - 10,484 votes |
| Liberal Democrats - Beki Sellick - 4,159 votes | Liberal Democrats - Beki Sellick - 4,159 votes |
| Official Monster Raving Loony Party - Alan "Howling Laud" Hope - 112 votes | Official Monster Raving Loony Party - Alan "Howling Laud" Hope - 112 votes |
| Renew - Peter Ward - 45 votes | Renew - Peter Ward - 45 votes |
| SDP Fighting for Brexit - Patrick O'Flynn - 135 votes | SDP Fighting for Brexit - Patrick O'Flynn - 135 votes |
| UK European Union Party - Pierre Kirk - 25 votes | UK European Union Party - Pierre Kirk - 25 votes |
| UKIP - John Whitby - 400 votes | UKIP - John Whitby - 400 votes |