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Wythenshawe and Sale East by-election: Labour wins Wythenshawe and Sale East by-election: Labour wins
(35 minutes later)
Labour has held on to its seat in the Wythenshawe and Sale East by-election with a comfortable majority while UKIP beat the Tories to second place.Labour has held on to its seat in the Wythenshawe and Sale East by-election with a comfortable majority while UKIP beat the Tories to second place.
Michael Kane won with 13,261 votes, beating UKIP's John Bickley, with 4,301, in second.Michael Kane won with 13,261 votes, beating UKIP's John Bickley, with 4,301, in second.
Rev Daniel Critchlow, for the Tories, came third on 3,479 votes, and Lib Dem Mary Di Mauro, came fourth on 1,176.Rev Daniel Critchlow, for the Tories, came third on 3,479 votes, and Lib Dem Mary Di Mauro, came fourth on 1,176.
Labour leader Ed Miliband said he was "delighted" by the result while David Cameron said he would listen to voters.
The by-election was triggered by the death of Labour's Paul Goggins, who had represented constituents since 1997.The by-election was triggered by the death of Labour's Paul Goggins, who had represented constituents since 1997.
The full results were:The full results were:
Analysts had been closely monitoring the performance of UKIP, which has come second in several by-elections in recent months, for clues to its national level of support ahead of May's European Parliament elections.Analysts had been closely monitoring the performance of UKIP, which has come second in several by-elections in recent months, for clues to its national level of support ahead of May's European Parliament elections.
'Setback''Setback'
Mr Kane said: "The people of Wythenshawe and Sale East have sent a very clear message they want a government to stand up for us all - a one-nation Labour government.Mr Kane said: "The people of Wythenshawe and Sale East have sent a very clear message they want a government to stand up for us all - a one-nation Labour government.
"It is a result that demonstrates the people know the NHS is not safe in David Cameron's hands and we have had enough of this utterly out-of-touch government.""It is a result that demonstrates the people know the NHS is not safe in David Cameron's hands and we have had enough of this utterly out-of-touch government."
Labour leader Ed Miliband said he was delighted with the result, tweeting that Mr Kane would make an "excellent" MP. The Labour leader tweeted that Mr Kane would make an "excellent" MP while Mr Cameron said the Conservatives would seek to win people back at the general election next year.
But Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the Conservatives' third place finish was a "setback" for the party. "Obviously the Wythenshawe by-election was in a very safe Labour seat and there was never much doubt about the result," the Conservative leader told ITV's Daybreak.
"The electorate do like to give governments a kicking in by-elections," he told BBC Radio 5Live. "Obviously, one would prefer to come second rather than third, but I don't think this is a particularly surprising result in Labour holding this seat."
He added: "When it comes to a general election when people are deciding who they want the prime minister to be and who they want the government to be there is a different set of calculations in people's minds. 'Solid progress'
"But obviously it is a setback when we don't do as well as we hope." Mr Cameron suggested UKIP had not achieved the sort of "breakthrough" it was hoping for but UKIP leader Nigel Farage said his party had made "solid, steady progress".
"When you start from a base of nothing and your level of public recognition is very low, then to do what we have done in a very short space of time, I am delighted," he said.
However, he criticised the by-election rules, suggesting the issuing of postal ballots three days after the poll was called had allowed Labour to tie down votes.
"The point about democracy is you should see who the candidates are, see what their agendas are and then form an opinion," he said. "That is not happening and it is reducing, frankly, these by-elections to farces."
The Liberal Democrats lost their deposit, as their share of the vote tumbled by 17% to below the crucial 5% level.The Liberal Democrats lost their deposit, as their share of the vote tumbled by 17% to below the crucial 5% level.
Party president Tim Farron said it continued a run of "patchy" by-election performances since the Lib Dems joined the coalition and warned its performance in next year's general election could be "very lumpy".
"There have been results like last night which are genuinely disappointing and then you look at places like Winchester, Cornwall...where we have MPs and where we have strength the Liberal Democrats are not just holding their own, they're going forward" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
Turnout was 28.2% compared with 54.3% in 2010. It is normal for lower turnout levels at by-elections.Turnout was 28.2% compared with 54.3% in 2010. It is normal for lower turnout levels at by-elections.
The victory is Labour's thirteenth in by-elections since the 2010 general election election. Of these, only one was a gain from another party, in Corby in 2012.