Labour secured an emphatic victory in Stoke-on-Trent Central after fending off Ukip’s Paul Nuttall, in a by-election that was widely seen as a test of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the party.
The party's candidate, Gareth Snell, won 7,853 votes to Ukip's 5,233.
A spokesperson for Jeremy Corbyn said: "Labour's excellent campaign has won a clear victory in an election Ukip and the Tories threw everything at.
"Stoke has rejected Ukip's politics of division and dishonesty. Ukip's claim to represent working class people has been exposed as a sham."
Mr Nuttall, conceding defeat, said "Ukip's time will come", adding he planned to stand as an MP in the 2020 general election.
"I'm not going anywhere," he said.
A senior party source earlier told The Independent that it would have been “extraordinary” if Mr Nuttall emerged victorious.
As the early hours of Friday morning approached Labour sources were confident of holding the constituency despite a concerted challenge by Ukip.
However Mr Corbyn faces a closer race in Copeland, where the result of the by-election will be announced later on Friday morning.
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