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| Polls close in key Corby by-election | Polls close in key Corby by-election |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Polls have closed in the Corby by-election - seen as a crucial mid-term test of David Cameron's premiership. | Polls have closed in the Corby by-election - seen as a crucial mid-term test of David Cameron's premiership. |
| If Labour wins, it will be the first time in 15 years the party has taken a Tory seat at a by-election. | If Labour wins, it will be the first time in 15 years the party has taken a Tory seat at a by-election. |
| Two other contests - in what has been dubbed "Super Thursday" - have also taken place, in Manchester Central and Cardiff South and Penarth. | |
| And millions have been voting in the first police and crime commissioner elections in England and Wales. | And millions have been voting in the first police and crime commissioner elections in England and Wales. |
| Voters in Bristol have also been to the polls to choose the city's first directly-elected mayor. | Voters in Bristol have also been to the polls to choose the city's first directly-elected mayor. |
| Counting will not get under way in Corby, Northamptonshire, until Friday morning, with a result expected at about 12:00 GMT. | Counting will not get under way in Corby, Northamptonshire, until Friday morning, with a result expected at about 12:00 GMT. |
| Cardiff South and Manchester Central will declare overnight but are not expected to produce an upset, each carrying a strong Labour majority from the last election. | Cardiff South and Manchester Central will declare overnight but are not expected to produce an upset, each carrying a strong Labour majority from the last election. |
| Labour 'nervous' | Labour 'nervous' |
| The Corby contest was triggered by the resignation of Louise Mensch, the high profile former member of the Commons Media Select Committee, who stood down after just over two years as Corby's MP to spend more time with her family. | The Corby contest was triggered by the resignation of Louise Mensch, the high profile former member of the Commons Media Select Committee, who stood down after just over two years as Corby's MP to spend more time with her family. |
| Mrs Mensch had a majority of less than 2,000 in a constituency that has regularly swung between Tory and Labour over the past 30 years - with voters always opting for the party that goes on to form a government. | Mrs Mensch had a majority of less than 2,000 in a constituency that has regularly swung between Tory and Labour over the past 30 years - with voters always opting for the party that goes on to form a government. |
| She said her resignation sparked "entirely understandable local anger" and suggested that the Tories would lose the seat. | She said her resignation sparked "entirely understandable local anger" and suggested that the Tories would lose the seat. |
| On Twitter, Mrs Mensch wrote: "Election result will not be a verdict on either Christine [Emmett], or the Conservatives, but only on the decision I took to step down mid-term. | On Twitter, Mrs Mensch wrote: "Election result will not be a verdict on either Christine [Emmett], or the Conservatives, but only on the decision I took to step down mid-term. |
| "Though I had to resign to unite our family, there was large & entirely understandable local anger. I wish I had been able to see out my term. | "Though I had to resign to unite our family, there was large & entirely understandable local anger. I wish I had been able to see out my term. |
| "Christine and her team did an incredible job in the most difficult possible circumstances. I know she will one day make a wonderful MP." | "Christine and her team did an incredible job in the most difficult possible circumstances. I know she will one day make a wonderful MP." |
| The UK Independence Party has mounted a strong challenge in the constituency and was hoping to overtake the Liberal Democrats, or even the Conservatives. | The UK Independence Party has mounted a strong challenge in the constituency and was hoping to overtake the Liberal Democrats, or even the Conservatives. |
| But the limited polling that has been carried out in the seat suggested Labour candidate Andy Sawford, son of Phil Sawford, former MP for nearby Kettering, is on course for victory. | But the limited polling that has been carried out in the seat suggested Labour candidate Andy Sawford, son of Phil Sawford, former MP for nearby Kettering, is on course for victory. |
| Labour has sought to play down expectations, saying turn-out would be very low because of the early dusk in November. | Labour has sought to play down expectations, saying turn-out would be very low because of the early dusk in November. |
| "We think we have won the campaign but we are nervous about the outcome," a source said. | "We think we have won the campaign but we are nervous about the outcome," a source said. |
| "We will wait and see - but whoever wins, no-one should expect it to be a big numerical majority." | "We will wait and see - but whoever wins, no-one should expect it to be a big numerical majority." |
| Wind farm row | Wind farm row |
| The closing stages of the campaign were overshadowed by revelations that the Tory campaign manager, Chris Heaton-Harris, had encouraged a friend, journalist James Delingpole, to stand against the party's candidate, Christine Emmett, on an anti-wind farm ticket. | The closing stages of the campaign were overshadowed by revelations that the Tory campaign manager, Chris Heaton-Harris, had encouraged a friend, journalist James Delingpole, to stand against the party's candidate, Christine Emmett, on an anti-wind farm ticket. |
| The MP was forced to apologise after the alleged plot emerged in a video secretly recorded by Greenpeace. | The MP was forced to apologise after the alleged plot emerged in a video secretly recorded by Greenpeace. |
| Mr Delingpole announced his intention to stand in Corby but withdrew from the race two weeks ago after Conservative Energy Minister John Hayes told the Daily Mail newspaper the development of onshore wind farms would be reined in - sparking a coalition row. | Mr Delingpole announced his intention to stand in Corby but withdrew from the race two weeks ago after Conservative Energy Minister John Hayes told the Daily Mail newspaper the development of onshore wind farms would be reined in - sparking a coalition row. |
| The Manchester Central by-election, in a seat where Labour has a majority of more than 10,000, was triggered by MP Tony Lloyd's decision to stand in the police and crime commissioner (PCC) elections. | The Manchester Central by-election, in a seat where Labour has a majority of more than 10,000, was triggered by MP Tony Lloyd's decision to stand in the police and crime commissioner (PCC) elections. |
| The by-election in Cardiff Central and Penarth, where Labour won by just over 4,700 two-and-a-half years ago, was prompted by the resignation of another PCC candidate, Alun Michael, who has held the seat for 25 years. | The by-election in Cardiff Central and Penarth, where Labour won by just over 4,700 two-and-a-half years ago, was prompted by the resignation of another PCC candidate, Alun Michael, who has held the seat for 25 years. |
| But the first PCC elections look set to be mired in controversy amid reports of low turnout and deserted polling stations. | But the first PCC elections look set to be mired in controversy amid reports of low turnout and deserted polling stations. |
| The Electoral Reform Society has branded the government's handling of the elections a "comedy of errors". | The Electoral Reform Society has branded the government's handling of the elections a "comedy of errors". |
| The society has predicted a turnout of 18.5%, which would be below the previous record low in a national poll in peacetime of 23% in the 1999 European elections. | The society has predicted a turnout of 18.5%, which would be below the previous record low in a national poll in peacetime of 23% in the 1999 European elections. |
| UKIP MEP John Bufton called on Home Secretary Theresa May to resign over the conduct of the PCC elections, claiming she had ignored advice from the Electoral Commission on the vote. | UKIP MEP John Bufton called on Home Secretary Theresa May to resign over the conduct of the PCC elections, claiming she had ignored advice from the Electoral Commission on the vote. |
| But the government insists whoever is voted in will have a stronger mandate to set local crime fighting priorities than the unelected police authorities they will replace. | But the government insists whoever is voted in will have a stronger mandate to set local crime fighting priorities than the unelected police authorities they will replace. |