http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/rochester-byelection-ukip-gains-second-elected-mp-as-tory-defector-mark-reckless-holds-kent-seat-9874341.html Ukip gains second MP in Rochester by-election Nigel Farage with Mark Reckless The career politicians of all parties from the Westminster “old boys club”, still do not understand what is happening in British politics today. Already, less than 12 hours after the result was declared, our television screens have been filled with politicians from the two main parties each seeking to outbid the others in their almost dismissive attitudes towards UKIP and their election win in Rochester and Strood. Within hours of the result, leading political figures, television pundits and the media, were dismissing the result with comments such as “well everyone knew that they were going to win” or “It is only a protest vote which is usual for a by election” or perhaps the most smugly preposterous comment of all tha...
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http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/wythenshawe-byelection-labour-hold-seat-as-ukip-surge-from-fifth-to-second-place-9127405.html Wythenshawe by-election: Labour hold seat as Ukip surge from fifth to second place Labour Party candidate Mike Kane, tops the poll.. There is only one statistic that the political parties should be concerned about. From a total electorate of more than 85,000 people eligible to vote, the turn out was only 28% and of those, the "winning" candidate received 0nly 13,261 votes. Since 1945, it has usually been the case that the turn out for a by election has been significantly higher than 30%, averaging around 48% although in recent years, the number of people voting at any form of election for Westminster, has been rapidly declining. The "major parties" (and UKIP) should be asking themselves questions as to why, in these times of austerity, only 23,000 people actually bother to go to the polling stations to cast their ...