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| UKIP's Reckless wins Rochester and Strood seat | UKIP's Reckless wins Rochester and Strood seat |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| UKIP has its second elected MP at Westminster after Mark Reckless won the Rochester and Strood by-election. | UKIP has its second elected MP at Westminster after Mark Reckless won the Rochester and Strood by-election. |
| Mr Reckless received 16,867 votes, 2,920 more than Conservative candidate Kelly Tolhurst's 13,947, with Labour's Naushabah Khan third on 6,713. | Mr Reckless received 16,867 votes, 2,920 more than Conservative candidate Kelly Tolhurst's 13,947, with Labour's Naushabah Khan third on 6,713. |
| The Green Party came fourth, while the Lib Dems got their lowest total ever. | The Green Party came fourth, while the Lib Dems got their lowest total ever. |
| Mr Reckless, whose defection from the Tories to UKIP triggered the contest in Kent, said: "If UKIP can win here, we can win across the country." | Mr Reckless, whose defection from the Tories to UKIP triggered the contest in Kent, said: "If UKIP can win here, we can win across the country." |
| In his acceptance speech, Mr Reckless said Rochester and Strood had been UKIP's 271st most winnable seat. | In his acceptance speech, Mr Reckless said Rochester and Strood had been UKIP's 271st most winnable seat. |
| In a message to his constituents, he said: "You remain my boss, do not let me forget it." | In a message to his constituents, he said: "You remain my boss, do not let me forget it." |
| In other developments: | In other developments: |
| Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps said he was disappointed with the result but said there were "different circumstances" in a by-election. | Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps said he was disappointed with the result but said there were "different circumstances" in a by-election. |
| "We will fight every single day to win this seat back," he added. | "We will fight every single day to win this seat back," he added. |
| And Conservative Leader of the House of Commons, William Hague, said that if Nigel Farage's party continued to take votes from the Tories, there was a danger of "letting Ed Miliband sneak into Downing Street by the back door". | |
| On Friday UKIP leader Nigel Farage denied that the result was simply a by-election protest vote against the government, and that voters would return to the larger parties in the general election. | |
| He said the message of Rochester and Strood was: "If you vote UKIP, you get UKIP." | |
| And he said "people out there who vote UKIP intend to stay UKIP". | |
| Analysis | Analysis |
| By Norman Smith, BBC assistant political editor | By Norman Smith, BBC assistant political editor |
| UKIP's victory was in many ways even more impressive than their triumph in Clacton. The ease with which they demolished a 9,000 Tory majority was striking and this after the Conservatives had strained every sinew to halt the UKIP bandwagon. | UKIP's victory was in many ways even more impressive than their triumph in Clacton. The ease with which they demolished a 9,000 Tory majority was striking and this after the Conservatives had strained every sinew to halt the UKIP bandwagon. |
| UKIP now insists no Tory seat is safe and has suggested other Conservative MPs are more likely to defect. | UKIP now insists no Tory seat is safe and has suggested other Conservative MPs are more likely to defect. |
| For the Tories the result was not perhaps the meltdown they had feared and certainly there is no indication so far of panic or calls for Mr Cameron to go. | For the Tories the result was not perhaps the meltdown they had feared and certainly there is no indication so far of panic or calls for Mr Cameron to go. |
| Senior Tories also believe they are poised to win back this seat at the general election. | Senior Tories also believe they are poised to win back this seat at the general election. |
| For Labour not only was their share of the vote almost halved but there was also despair at the damaging tweet by their former shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry, seemingly mocking "white van man". | For Labour not only was their share of the vote almost halved but there was also despair at the damaging tweet by their former shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry, seemingly mocking "white van man". |
| As for the Lib Dems, not only were they again overhauled by the Greens, but they secured a derisory 349 votes - their lowest total ever. | As for the Lib Dems, not only were they again overhauled by the Greens, but they secured a derisory 349 votes - their lowest total ever. |
| Analysis: What next for parties? | Analysis: What next for parties? |
| How unusual is Rochester and Strood? | How unusual is Rochester and Strood? |
| UKIP also beat the Conservatives at last month's Clacton by-election. | UKIP also beat the Conservatives at last month's Clacton by-election. |
| Prime Minister David Cameron had promised to "throw the kitchen sink" at the Rochester and Strood campaign after the defeat to another former Tory MP, Douglas Carswell, in Clacton. | Prime Minister David Cameron had promised to "throw the kitchen sink" at the Rochester and Strood campaign after the defeat to another former Tory MP, Douglas Carswell, in Clacton. |
| UKIP's winning margin was smaller than it was in Clacton, but Mr Reckless still won 42.1% of the 40,113 votes cast. | UKIP's winning margin was smaller than it was in Clacton, but Mr Reckless still won 42.1% of the 40,113 votes cast. |
| The declaration, at 04:15 GMT, came later than expected. | The declaration, at 04:15 GMT, came later than expected. |
| Green Party candidate Clive Gregory came fourth with 1,692 votes, and the Liberal Democrats came fifth with 349. | Green Party candidate Clive Gregory came fourth with 1,692 votes, and the Liberal Democrats came fifth with 349. |
| Elections expert Prof John Curtice, from Strathclyde University, said UKIP still faced a challenge to convert its by-election success into seats at the general election. | Elections expert Prof John Curtice, from Strathclyde University, said UKIP still faced a challenge to convert its by-election success into seats at the general election. |
| He said: "It's certainly a very good night for UKIP, and makes life much more difficult for the major parties, but the challenge facing UKIP is clear." | He said: "It's certainly a very good night for UKIP, and makes life much more difficult for the major parties, but the challenge facing UKIP is clear." |
| There had been speculation that more MPs would defect to UKIP in the event of a win for Nigel Farage's party. | There had been speculation that more MPs would defect to UKIP in the event of a win for Nigel Farage's party. |
| UKIP deputy chairwoman Suzanne Evans told BBC News: "We will see if anyone else wants to come over," with Mr Reckless claiming two Conservatives had been in talks and Mr Farage saying he had discussions with Labour figures. | UKIP deputy chairwoman Suzanne Evans told BBC News: "We will see if anyone else wants to come over," with Mr Reckless claiming two Conservatives had been in talks and Mr Farage saying he had discussions with Labour figures. |
| On Thursday evening Conservative Chief Whip Michael Gove said he was "100% sure" no more Tory MPs would defect to UKIP. | |
| But Nigel Farage said on Friday that this was "a very silly thing to say". | |
| William Hague said he "did not have a crystal ball about what every MP would do", but said the Tories are "very determined" to win the general election. | |
| Labour was dealt a blow on polling day when shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry resigned from its front bench after being accused of "snobbery" by tweeting a photograph of a Rochester house displaying England flags and with a white van parked outside. | Labour was dealt a blow on polling day when shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry resigned from its front bench after being accused of "snobbery" by tweeting a photograph of a Rochester house displaying England flags and with a white van parked outside. |
| The Islington South and Finsbury MP said it had not been her intention to cause offence and stood down. | The Islington South and Finsbury MP said it had not been her intention to cause offence and stood down. |
| On Friday, shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander said Ms Thornberry "did the wrong thing" by sending the tweet but "did the right thing" by resigning. | On Friday, shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander said Ms Thornberry "did the wrong thing" by sending the tweet but "did the right thing" by resigning. |
| Asked if the tweet showed that Mr Reckless was right to claim UKIP was now the party of the working class, Mr Alexander said Mr Farage's party had "the wrong prospectus for the country". | |
| And he accused UKIP of wanting to privatise the NHS. | And he accused UKIP of wanting to privatise the NHS. |
| BBC political correspondent Chris Mason said the Conservatives would "take great comfort" at the front pages being dominated by Ms Thornberry's tweet rather than the Tories once again losing to UKIP. | BBC political correspondent Chris Mason said the Conservatives would "take great comfort" at the front pages being dominated by Ms Thornberry's tweet rather than the Tories once again losing to UKIP. |
| UKIP also has its first elected member on Medway Council. | |
| Chris Irvine, who defected from the Conservative Party in September, received 2,850 votes pushing the Tories into second place in the Peninsula Ward by-election. | |
| He told BBC Radio Kent he switched to UKIP over the Conservative-led council's plans to build thousands of new homes at Lodge Hill. | |
| Rochester and Strood by-election full results | Rochester and Strood by-election full results |
| Mark Reckless (UKIP) 16,867 (42.10%) | Mark Reckless (UKIP) 16,867 (42.10%) |
| Kelly Tolhurst (Conservative) 13,947 (34.81%) | Kelly Tolhurst (Conservative) 13,947 (34.81%) |
| Naushabah Khan (Labour) 6,713 (16.76%) | Naushabah Khan (Labour) 6,713 (16.76%) |
| Clive Gregory (Green) 1,692 (4.22%) | Clive Gregory (Green) 1,692 (4.22%) |
| Geoff Juby (Lib Dem) 349 (0.87%) | Geoff Juby (Lib Dem) 349 (0.87%) |
| Hairy Knorm Davidson (Official Monster Raving Loony Party) 151 (0.38%) | Hairy Knorm Davidson (Official Monster Raving Loony Party) 151 (0.38%) |
| Stephen Goldsbrough (Ind) 69 (0.17%) | Stephen Goldsbrough (Ind) 69 (0.17%) |
| Nick Long (People Before Profit) 69 (0.17%) | Nick Long (People Before Profit) 69 (0.17%) |
| Jayda Fransen (Britain First) 56 (0.14%) | Jayda Fransen (Britain First) 56 (0.14%) |
| Mike Barker (Ind) 54 (0.13%) | Mike Barker (Ind) 54 (0.13%) |
| Charlotte Rose (Ind) 43 (0.11%) | Charlotte Rose (Ind) 43 (0.11%) |
| Dave Osborn (Patriotic Socialist Party) 33 (0.08%) | Dave Osborn (Patriotic Socialist Party) 33 (0.08%) |
| Christopher Challis (Ind) 22 (0.05%) | Christopher Challis (Ind) 22 (0.05%) |