Ukip wins second MP but Labour loses shadow attorney general
Ukip was on course for a second seat in the House of Commons last night as former Conservative MP turned Ukip member Mark Reckless looked certain to win back his seat after sparking a byelection when he defected.
The Tories had hoped to hold on to the Rochester and Strood seat but were privately conceding defeat last night, despite a strong campaign which saw Prime Minister David Cameron visit the Kent constituency a number of times along with senior cabinet colleagues and other MPs.
Questions of further defections to Ukip loomed over Cameron’s party last night following the win.
Meanwhile, the Labour party had problems of its own as shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry resigned her post after a storm of protest over a photo she tweeted from the constituency. The photo showed a white van and house decked with three England flags, with a fellow Labour MP suggesting it was “derogatory and dismissive of the people”.