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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| UKIP's Nigel Farage back on campaign trail after by-election win | UKIP's Nigel Farage back on campaign trail after by-election win |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| UKIP leader Nigel Farage is campaigning in Kent as the Conservatives and Labour come under pressure to respond to his party's victory in the Clacton by-election. | |
| On Friday, UKIP won the Essex seat by 12,404 votes, while Labour won the Heywood and Middleton by-election - beating UKIP by just 617 votes. | On Friday, UKIP won the Essex seat by 12,404 votes, while Labour won the Heywood and Middleton by-election - beating UKIP by just 617 votes. |
| Mr Farage is campaigning ahead of the Rochester and Strood by-election. | Mr Farage is campaigning ahead of the Rochester and Strood by-election. |
| Tory and Labour MPs meanwhile have called for a response to UKIP's surge. | Tory and Labour MPs meanwhile have called for a response to UKIP's surge. |
| Speaking on BBC's Newsnight, Conservative MP John Baron said his party needed a "clearer direction, a clearer sense of what sort of Europe we want". | Speaking on BBC's Newsnight, Conservative MP John Baron said his party needed a "clearer direction, a clearer sense of what sort of Europe we want". |
| He also refused to rule out following his Eurosceptic former colleagues to UKIP. | |
| "You should never say never in politics but the bottom line is my very strong preference is to stay within the Conservative Party," Mr Baron said. | |
| 'Good protest vote' | |
| Mr Farage has said he expects more Conservative MPs to join UKIP following the defections of Douglas Carswell and Mark Reckless, which triggered the by-elections in Clacton and in Rochester and Strood. | Mr Farage has said he expects more Conservative MPs to join UKIP following the defections of Douglas Carswell and Mark Reckless, which triggered the by-elections in Clacton and in Rochester and Strood. |
| The vote in Rochester and Strood is expected to take place early next month. | The vote in Rochester and Strood is expected to take place early next month. |
| Mr Reckless has reiterated that UKIP wants to "rebalance" immigration, which he said had held down wages for some workers and increased competition for jobs. | |
| The Labour candidate for the seat, Naushabah Khan, says voters have more pressing issues, such as "a hospital which is failing" and "60% of our primary schools which are failing". | |
| The Liberal Democrat candidate, Geoff Juby, said his party "seem to be out on the streets a bit more" than Labour and the Conservatives. | |
| Clive Gregory, standing for the Green Party, said a vote for him would be "a good protest vote" whereas UKIP represented "the same nonsense as the Conservatives". | |
| The Conservatives will conduct a full postal ballot of constituents to select their candidate. | |
| 'Mutually assured destruction' | |
| Asked about the national picture, Tory MP Jacob Rees Mogg renewed calls for a pact between the Conservatives and UKIP. | |
| He told the Times newspaper that the impact UKIP has had on the Labour vote in northern England had been encouraging. | He told the Times newspaper that the impact UKIP has had on the Labour vote in northern England had been encouraging. |
| "We should think about what that means in terms of the UKIP-Conservative relationship because the Conservative family could win a majority on that basis," he said. | "We should think about what that means in terms of the UKIP-Conservative relationship because the Conservative family could win a majority on that basis," he said. |
| "Otherwise, the only thing we manage is mutually-assured destruction." | "Otherwise, the only thing we manage is mutually-assured destruction." |
| On Friday, Prime Minister David Cameron said next year's general election would be "the most important in a generation" - warning that voters who switched support from the Tories to UKIP risked handing power to Labour. | On Friday, Prime Minister David Cameron said next year's general election would be "the most important in a generation" - warning that voters who switched support from the Tories to UKIP risked handing power to Labour. |
| Meanwhile, Labour leader Ed Miliband said his party needed to "reach out" to disaffected voters. | Meanwhile, Labour leader Ed Miliband said his party needed to "reach out" to disaffected voters. |
| 'All bets are off' | 'All bets are off' |
| He said Labour had changed and realised it was "not prejudiced" to worry about immigration, but said he did not think UKIP could "represent the interests of working people". | He said Labour had changed and realised it was "not prejudiced" to worry about immigration, but said he did not think UKIP could "represent the interests of working people". |
| In the wake of the party's narrow victory in Heywood, several Labour MPs expressed concerns about Mr Miliband's electoral strategy. | In the wake of the party's narrow victory in Heywood, several Labour MPs expressed concerns about Mr Miliband's electoral strategy. |
| Former pensions minister Frank Field said "very large numbers" of Labour voters were unhappy with the way the party was performing. | Former pensions minister Frank Field said "very large numbers" of Labour voters were unhappy with the way the party was performing. |
| "If last night's vote heralds the start of UKIP's serious assault into Labour's neglected core vote, all bets are off for safer, let alone marginal seats at the next election." Mr Field said. | "If last night's vote heralds the start of UKIP's serious assault into Labour's neglected core vote, all bets are off for safer, let alone marginal seats at the next election." Mr Field said. |
| He added that "until we get that central to our message we're in trouble". | He added that "until we get that central to our message we're in trouble". |
| On Thursday, Mr Carswell became the first MP to be elected under UKIP's banner, winning the Clacton by-election by 12,404 votes. | On Thursday, Mr Carswell became the first MP to be elected under UKIP's banner, winning the Clacton by-election by 12,404 votes. |
| Mr Carswell overturned a 12,068 Conservative majority in the Essex seat he had previously held as a Tory. | Mr Carswell overturned a 12,068 Conservative majority in the Essex seat he had previously held as a Tory. |
| In Heywood and Middleton, Greater Manchester, Liz McInnes held on for Labour in a contest triggered by the death of the former MP, Jim Dobbin. | In Heywood and Middleton, Greater Manchester, Liz McInnes held on for Labour in a contest triggered by the death of the former MP, Jim Dobbin. |
| She won with 11,633 votes - or 41% of the vote - with UKIP's John Bickley 617 behind - with 39% of the vote | She won with 11,633 votes - or 41% of the vote - with UKIP's John Bickley 617 behind - with 39% of the vote |
| Following the results, Mr Farage predicted UKIP could hold the balance of power following the next general election. | Following the results, Mr Farage predicted UKIP could hold the balance of power following the next general election. |
| "We've got a chance here in a general election next year that is likely to be very tight, in an election in which no one party is likely to have a majority. | "We've got a chance here in a general election next year that is likely to be very tight, in an election in which no one party is likely to have a majority. |
| "If UKIP can keep this momentum going, we could find ourselves next May in a position where we hold the balance of power," he said. | "If UKIP can keep this momentum going, we could find ourselves next May in a position where we hold the balance of power," he said. |