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| Labour wins Feltham and Heston by-election | Labour wins Feltham and Heston by-election |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Labour has held the Feltham and Heston seat in a by-election with an increased majority. | |
| Winning candidate Seema Malhotra secured victory with a majority of 6,203 over the Conservatives, a swing of 8.6%. | Winning candidate Seema Malhotra secured victory with a majority of 6,203 over the Conservatives, a swing of 8.6%. |
| The Liberal Democrats held on to third place with 1,364 votes - fighting off a challenge from the UK Independence Party, who polled 1,276. | The Liberal Democrats held on to third place with 1,364 votes - fighting off a challenge from the UK Independence Party, who polled 1,276. |
| Turnout was just 28.8% - the lowest in a by-election for 11 years. | Turnout was just 28.8% - the lowest in a by-election for 11 years. |
| The previous lowest was in West Bromwich West in November 2000 at 27.6%. | The previous lowest was in West Bromwich West in November 2000 at 27.6%. |
| The by-election was prompted by the death last month of former Labour MP Alan Keen. | The by-election was prompted by the death last month of former Labour MP Alan Keen. |
| 'Vote of confidence' | 'Vote of confidence' |
| The winning candidate described her victory as a "wake-up call" for the government and said it demonstrated the progress Labour was making under Ed Miliband's leadership. | The winning candidate described her victory as a "wake-up call" for the government and said it demonstrated the progress Labour was making under Ed Miliband's leadership. |
| "This result shows that this Tory-led government is totally out of touch," she said. | "This result shows that this Tory-led government is totally out of touch," she said. |
| She said the result was a "vote of confidence in the way Labour is changing, listening harder, winning back the trust of the people we seek to serve". | She said the result was a "vote of confidence in the way Labour is changing, listening harder, winning back the trust of the people we seek to serve". |
| Ms Malhotra grew up in Feltham, and went to school in Heston. She was an adviser to Harriet Harman during her stint as Leader of the Opposition in 2010. | Ms Malhotra grew up in Feltham, and went to school in Heston. She was an adviser to Harriet Harman during her stint as Leader of the Opposition in 2010. |
| Labour polled a total of 12,639 votes and BBC political correspondent Gary O'Donoghue said of the win: "The fly in the ointment is the turnout, which has been pretty depressing as by-elections go." | Labour polled a total of 12,639 votes and BBC political correspondent Gary O'Donoghue said of the win: "The fly in the ointment is the turnout, which has been pretty depressing as by-elections go." |
| The economy was a bigger issue for people going to the polls than Europe, he added. | The economy was a bigger issue for people going to the polls than Europe, he added. |
| Conservative candidate Mark Bowen said he was "proud" of his performance. | Conservative candidate Mark Bowen said he was "proud" of his performance. |
| "I think it's a respectable result. All the pundits and pollsters indicated it would be much, much worse for our party," he said. | "I think it's a respectable result. All the pundits and pollsters indicated it would be much, much worse for our party," he said. |
| "[They gave] the impression we had zero chance and it was going to be a massive Labour majority - that hasn't happened." | "[They gave] the impression we had zero chance and it was going to be a massive Labour majority - that hasn't happened." |
| The Conservatives' share of the vote was down from 33% to 28%, while the Lib Dems dropped from 14% to less than 6%. | The Conservatives' share of the vote was down from 33% to 28%, while the Lib Dems dropped from 14% to less than 6%. |
| 'Difficult corner' | |
| UKIP saw its share more than double from 2% to more than 5%, but it was unable to take third place from the Lib Dems. | UKIP saw its share more than double from 2% to more than 5%, but it was unable to take third place from the Lib Dems. |
| It might not make for a sexy headline, but there's been no real change here in Feltham and Heston. | It might not make for a sexy headline, but there's been no real change here in Feltham and Heston. |
| Labour won, like last time, the Conservatives were second, like last time and the Liberal Democrats were third, like last time. | Labour won, like last time, the Conservatives were second, like last time and the Liberal Democrats were third, like last time. |
| Given they are in opposition at Westminster, Labour hoped to nudge a bit further ahead of the rest, and they did. | Given they are in opposition at Westminster, Labour hoped to nudge a bit further ahead of the rest, and they did. |
| The Lib Dems are relieved that they held onto third place, just beating the UK Independence Party. | The Lib Dems are relieved that they held onto third place, just beating the UK Independence Party. |
| All the candidates expressed concern about the turnout of 28.8 per cent, the lowest at a by-election for 11 years. There was, though, something of a perfect storm for indifference: it is days before Christmas, it is dark, it is wet and it is cold, and many expected Labour to win again anyway. | All the candidates expressed concern about the turnout of 28.8 per cent, the lowest at a by-election for 11 years. There was, though, something of a perfect storm for indifference: it is days before Christmas, it is dark, it is wet and it is cold, and many expected Labour to win again anyway. |
| The party - which campaigns for the UK to leave the European Union - said its chances had been damaged by Prime Minister David Cameron's decision to veto an EU-wide treaty at last week Brussels summit, which it believes gave the Tories a boost in the final week of the campaign. | The party - which campaigns for the UK to leave the European Union - said its chances had been damaged by Prime Minister David Cameron's decision to veto an EU-wide treaty at last week Brussels summit, which it believes gave the Tories a boost in the final week of the campaign. |
| Deputy Lib Dem leader Simon Hughes said the result was as expected. | |
| "What happened here was what normally happens in a by-election. People protest against the government, so government parties take a hit [and] the opposition normally moves forward." | |
| He said his party was "fighting a particularly difficult corner" because it was pro-European in a country "where the majority of people still like to see us, as it were, having a go at our European neighbours". | |
| UKIP leader Nigel Farage said the Lib Dems were "almost a busted flush". | UKIP leader Nigel Farage said the Lib Dems were "almost a busted flush". |
| Feltham and Heston was won by the Conservatives in 1983 and 1987 during Margaret Thatcher's premiership. | Feltham and Heston was won by the Conservatives in 1983 and 1987 during Margaret Thatcher's premiership. |
| At the last general election Labour's majority in the seat, located to the west of London, was cut to 4,658 in a 4.8% swing to the Conservatives. | At the last general election Labour's majority in the seat, located to the west of London, was cut to 4,658 in a 4.8% swing to the Conservatives. |
| All the three main party leaders visited the constituency during campaigning for what is the sixth by-election during this Parliament. | All the three main party leaders visited the constituency during campaigning for what is the sixth by-election during this Parliament. |
| The full results were: | The full results were: |
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