UK`s Labour and anti-EU UKIP face questions after damaging election defeats

by Dramelin 8:30 PM 0 comments

Britain`s opposition Labour Party and the populist UK Independence Party suffered damaging defeats at separate parliamentary by-elections on Friday, raising serious questions about the long-term electoral prospects of both parties.
Labour won the Stoke-on-Trent Central seat by a comfortable albeit reduced margin over the anti-European Union UKIP which had fielded its leader and had been hoping to capitalize on the area`s staunchly pro-Brexit stance.
But, Labour lost a seat in the north western English region of Copeland where they have held power since 1935, giving Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May the first gain for a ruling party at a by-election in 35 years.
The victory for Labour in Stoke fueled doubts that UKIP, which has had a dramatic impact on British politics in the last decade playing a major role in bringing about last June`s EU referendum and the vote to leave, can turn that influence into seats in parliament.