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| Newark byelection result: Conservatives win comfortably with Ukip second and Labour third | Newark byelection result: Conservatives win comfortably with Ukip second and Labour third |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| David Cameron has led the Tories to their first byelection victory in a | David Cameron has led the Tories to their first byelection victory in a |
| quarter of a century as a governing party after they easily beat off a | quarter of a century as a governing party after they easily beat off a |
| challenge from Ukip to hold the safe seat of Newark. | challenge from Ukip to hold the safe seat of Newark. |
| In a significant boost for Cameron, who made four visits to Newark, the | In a significant boost for Cameron, who made four visits to Newark, the |
| Tory candidate Robert Jenrick won with a majority of just over 7,000. | Tory candidate Robert Jenrick won with a majority of just over 7,000. |
| Jenrick, who became the first winning Tory byelection candidate under a | Jenrick, who became the first winning Tory byelection candidate under a |
| Conservative prime minister since William Hague in 1989, secured a | Conservative prime minister since William Hague in 1989, secured a |
| comfortable victory with 17,431 votes. The Ukip MEP Roger Helmer came | comfortable victory with 17,431 votes. The Ukip MEP Roger Helmer came |
| second place on 10,028 votes – a healthy Tory majority of 7,403. Labour | second place on 10,028 votes – a healthy Tory majority of 7,403. Labour |
| came third on 6,842. The turnout at 52.79% was high for a byelection. | came third on 6,842. The turnout at 52.79% was high for a byelection. |
| The Liberal Democrats suffered a humiliating result as they finished in | The Liberal Democrats suffered a humiliating result as they finished in |
| sixth place behind the Greens and a local hospital campaigner. David | sixth place behind the Greens and a local hospital campaigner. David |
| Watts won just 1,004 votes, losing his deposit, as the party's vote fell | Watts won just 1,004 votes, losing his deposit, as the party's vote fell |
| by 17.4 points. Labour and Lib Dem sources said that some of their | by 17.4 points. Labour and Lib Dem sources said that some of their |
| natural supporters voted tactically for the Tories to keep out Ukip. | natural supporters voted tactically for the Tories to keep out Ukip. |
| The Tory leadership, which ran one of its most energetic byelection | The Tory leadership, which ran one of its most energetic byelection |
| campaigns involving four trips by the prime minister to Newark, will use | campaigns involving four trips by the prime minister to Newark, will use |
| the result to downplay Ukip's recent performance in the European elections. George | the result to downplay Ukip's recent performance in the European elections. George |
| Osborne is expected to lead the Tory charge on the Today programme on | Osborne is expected to lead the Tory charge on the Today programme on |
| Friday morning where he is due to say that the result shows that voters | Friday morning where he is due to say that the result shows that voters |
| make serious choices in Westminster elections. | make serious choices in Westminster elections. |
| John Curtice, the leading psephologist, cautioned that the Tory result | John Curtice, the leading psephologist, cautioned that the Tory result |
| did not necessarily signal a breakthrough. Its vote fell by 8.9 points, | did not necessarily signal a breakthrough. Its vote fell by 8.9 points, |
| slightly lower than the average 10.5% fall in Tory support in | slightly lower than the average 10.5% fall in Tory support in |
| byelections in this parliament. The Ukip vote increased by 22.1% while | byelections in this parliament. The Ukip vote increased by 22.1% while |
| Labour's vote fell by 4.6 points. | Labour's vote fell by 4.6 points. |
| Jenrick said that his victory, announced around 3.45am, showed Labour to be in deep trouble. "The people of Newark have | Jenrick said that his victory, announced around 3.45am, showed Labour to be in deep trouble. "The people of Newark have |
| voted to back this government - to back this government's long term | voted to back this government - to back this government's long term |
| economic plan to secure the future of this constituency and of this | economic plan to secure the future of this constituency and of this |
| great country. | great country. |
| "Newark elected a Labour MP in 1997. It is clear from tonight's result | "Newark elected a Labour MP in 1997. It is clear from tonight's result |
| that the people of Newark believe that Ed Miliband and the Labour party | that the people of Newark believe that Ed Miliband and the Labour party |
| have no answers for the challenges this country faces." | have no answers for the challenges this country faces." |
| The Tory win did not come as a surprise to the Ukip leadership which had | The Tory win did not come as a surprise to the Ukip leadership which had |
| believed that it would struggle to overturn the Conservatives' 16,152 | believed that it would struggle to overturn the Conservatives' 16,152 |
| majority at the last election. The byelection was caused by the | majority at the last election. The byelection was caused by the |
| resignation of Patrick Mercer, who first won Newark in 2001, over a | resignation of Patrick Mercer, who first won Newark in 2001, over a |
| cash-for-questions scandal. | cash-for-questions scandal. |
| But the scale of the Tory victory is likely to disappoint Nigel Farage, | But the scale of the Tory victory is likely to disappoint Nigel Farage, |
| the Ukip leader, who had predicted a Conservative majority of 2,500 at the most. Farage, who had attended a travel conference in Malta in the | the Ukip leader, who had predicted a Conservative majority of 2,500 at the most. Farage, who had attended a travel conference in Malta in the |
| final days of the campaign, made a brief appearance in the town's Market | final days of the campaign, made a brief appearance in the town's Market |
| Square on Thursday afternoon. The Ukip leader had been advised by aides | Square on Thursday afternoon. The Ukip leader had been advised by aides |
| to adopt a low profile on the grounds that his party would struggle in | to adopt a low profile on the grounds that his party would struggle in |
| Newark. | Newark. |
| Farage failed to secure his main goal: to better the 27.80% it secured | Farage failed to secure his main goal: to better the 27.80% it secured |
| when it came second in Eastleigh last year. The Ukip leader told the BBC | when it came second in Eastleigh last year. The Ukip leader told the BBC |
| a few hours before the declaration of the result: "It has been a very | a few hours before the declaration of the result: "It has been a very |
| short byelection. We couldn't mobilise anybody until after the European | short byelection. We couldn't mobilise anybody until after the European |
| elections and so we have really had 10 days at this. The Conservatives | elections and so we have really had 10 days at this. The Conservatives |
| have probably put more into this than any byelection they have ever | have probably put more into this than any byelection they have ever |
| fought in their history. All round I can assure you that the people's | fought in their history. All round I can assure you that the people's |
| army are going to be very happy with this result." | army are going to be very happy with this result." |
| There were worrying signs for the Ukip leadership that female voters | There were worrying signs for the Ukip leadership that female voters |
| declined to support the party. The final Survation byelection poll | declined to support the party. The final Survation byelection poll |
| found that 36.8% of men supported Ukip while just 16.8% of women | found that 36.8% of men supported Ukip while just 16.8% of women |
| supported the party. Nearly half of women (47.6%) supported the Tories. | supported the party. Nearly half of women (47.6%) supported the Tories. |
| Patrick McLoughlin, the transport secretary, said the Tory victory | Patrick McLoughlin, the transport secretary, said the Tory victory |
| showed that voters make a serious choice in Westminster elections as he | showed that voters make a serious choice in Westminster elections as he |
| said the result showed his party was well placed for the general | said the result showed his party was well placed for the general |
| election. He told the BBC: "What we have shown today is, when it comes | election. He told the BBC: "What we have shown today is, when it comes |
| to elections for parliament, people will trust us, people know we are | to elections for parliament, people will trust us, people know we are |
| taking very tough decisions but we are seeing employment levels going up | taking very tough decisions but we are seeing employment levels going up |
| and we are seeing confidence that foreign companies are investing in | and we are seeing confidence that foreign companies are investing in |
| this country. | this country. |
| "In a byelection people are not electing a government. They are | "In a byelection people are not electing a government. They are |
| expressing a view. For us to win this byelection, 11 months before | expressing a view. For us to win this byelection, 11 months before |
| the general election, gives us very very good progress towards that | the general election, gives us very very good progress towards that |
| general election campaign." | general election campaign." |
| Chris Bryant, the Labour frontbencher who ran the party's campaign, | Chris Bryant, the Labour frontbencher who ran the party's campaign, |
| played down the significance of the Tory win as he pointed out that | played down the significance of the Tory win as he pointed out that |
| Newark is the party's 44th safest seat. Bryant told the BBC: "They threw | Newark is the party's 44th safest seat. Bryant told the BBC: "They threw |
| the kitchen sink, they threw the butler's sink, they threw the | the kitchen sink, they threw the butler's sink, they threw the |
| crockery, all the silverware, the Aga, the butler, the home help – everything at it." | crockery, all the silverware, the Aga, the butler, the home help – everything at it." |
| But John Curtice said Labour's third place raised questions about | But John Curtice said Labour's third place raised questions about |
| whether it could win the general election next year. Labour held Newark | whether it could win the general election next year. Labour held Newark |
| between 1997-2001 though the boundaries were different. | between 1997-2001 though the boundaries were different. |
| Curtice told the BBC: "The truth is that they should be on tenterhooks as to whether they will win the seat." | Curtice told the BBC: "The truth is that they should be on tenterhooks as to whether they will win the seat." |
| Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow cabinet office minister, said the result | Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow cabinet office minister, said the result |
| showed that Labour needed to do more to put its message across. He said | showed that Labour needed to do more to put its message across. He said |
| the party also needed to do more to understand the appeal of Ukip. | the party also needed to do more to understand the appeal of Ukip. |
| Full results of the 2014 Newark byelection | |
| Robert Jenrick (C) 17,431 (45.03%, -8.82%)Roger Helmer (Ukip) 10,028 (25.91%, +22.09%)Michael Payne (Lab) 6,842 (17.68%, -4.65%)Paul Baggaley (Ind) 1,891 (4.89%)David Kirwan (Green) 1,057 (2.73%)David Watts (LD) 1,004 (2.59%, -17.41%)Nick The Flying Brick (Loony) 168 (0.43%)Andy Hayes (Ind) 117 (0.30%)David Bishop (BP Elvis) 87 (0.22%)Dick Rodgers (Stop Banks) 64 (0.17%)Lee Woods (Pat Soc) 18 (0.05%)C maj 7,403 (19.13%)15.46% swing C to UKIPElectorate 73,486; Turnout 38,707 (52.67%, -18.69%) | |
| Newark results in the 2010 general election | |
| Con: 27,590 | Con: 27,590 |
| Lab: 11,438 | Lab: 11,438 |
| Lib Dem: 10,246 | Lib Dem: 10,246 |
| Ukip: 1,954 | Ukip: 1,954 |
| Con majority: 16,152 | Con majority: 16,152 |
| Turnout: 71.4% | Turnout: 71.4% |