The Liberal Democrats held onto the Hampshire seat of Eastleigh in a battle with their coalition partners that left the Conservatives reeling in third place.
The result came after an extremely difficult week for Nick Clegg, as he struggled to get his story straight over what he knew of sexual harassment allegations against his party's former chief executive Lord Rennard.
Ukip took an unprecedented 28% of the vote to come second. Party leader Nigel Farage says that they are no longer simply a protest vote.
Meanwhile Labour candidate John O'Farrell finished a distant fourth - a result that will fuel critics of Ed Miliband's party as one that cannot compete in the south of the country.
Joining Tom Clark to discuss all of this: Jonathan Isaby of the Taxpayers' Alliance; Prateek Buch of the Social Liberal Forum; and the Guardian's Michael White.
Also this week: we look at the Italian election which has so far failed to produce a government. With the mainstream politicians rejected by voters and no leader claiming a ruling majority is the slumbering Euro-crisis about to return with a vengeance? We hear from our Rome correspondent Lizzy Davies.
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