For Nigel Farage, it was a night that began with dinner in a five-star hotel and ended with a bitter taste.

His Brexit Party came within just under 700 votes of pulling off a sensational by-election victory in Peterborough.

But in politics - as in everything else - there are no prizes for coming second and it's Labour and Jeremy Corbyn who are celebrating victory.

After a turbulent few weeks for the Labour leader, Lisa Forbes' win has earned Mr Corbyn some respite in his battle with the Remainers in his party demanding a second referendum.

Image: Peterborough by-election result

But not for long. Mr Corbyn's critics in his party will claim that this, after all, was a Labour held-seat and anything other than a victory for his party should have been unthinkable.


But these are not normal times in British politics and a Brexit Party victory looked on the cards throughout much of the by-election campaign.

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage says that the Peterborough by-election result shows that 2-party politics is over in national elections.

The party's spectacular 32% showing in the European elections provoked blind panic among Tory MPs and looks like propelling Boris Johnson, the only politician the Tories have who compares with Mr Farage's rock star status, to 10 Downing Street.

During polling day, bookmakers had Mr Farage's party at 1/5 and Labour 7/2, though later in the day they shortened Labour's odds to 2/1.

Image: After a turbulent few weeks for the Labour leader, Lisa Forbes' win has earned Jeremy Corbyn some respite

Labour's new MP for Peterborough Lisa Forbes has apologised for liking antisemitic Facebook post

But I've been at many a by-election count where the mood among the party activists suddenly changes. And this was one of them.

Suddenly, the Labour activists at the Kingsgate Conference Centre became confident of victory and were predicting a win. Before long they were jubilant.

:: Listen to the All Out Politics podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

Mr Farage and his cronies, however, were strangely - and unusually for them - subdued and privately admitting they were going to come second.

None more so than the Brexit Party leader himself, normally ebullient, loud, raucous and brash... but not this time.

Mr Farage had spent the evening dining at the George Hotel at Stamford, one of the finest dining establishments on the A1, according to locals here.

The restaurant serves rare roast beef carved at the table and - no doubt - a fine claret to Mr Farage's liking.

But by the time he arrived at the count, the prospect of defeat was clearly too much to swallow. He evaded journalists waiting for him at the front entrance and came in by a side door.

Image: Nigel Farage had spent the evening dining at the George Hotel at Stamford

He then hid in the inappropriately named Welcome Lounge and had a narrow escape when he left to go to the gents and was almost pursued inside by journalists and camera crews.

He then left the count before the declaration without giving any interviews, leaving his defeated candidate, millionaire former Tory donor Mike Greene, to face the media.

But Mr Greene was defiant in defeat, blaming the Tory vote holding up, a lack of voting data and the Labour Party's decision to hold the by-election quickly.

For the Tories, still panicking over the Brexit Party polling 32% in the European elections, the recriminations will continue.

Mr Johnson, who this week told Tory MPs the party faces "extinction" and an "existential crisis" if the UK doesn't leave the EU on 31 October, will almost certainly romp to victory in the leadership election now.

So once again Mr Farage has spooked the Tories: first when his UKIP triumph in the 2014 European election persuaded David Cameron to hold a referendum and now frightening Tory MPs into backing Boris.

But despite coming tantalisingly close to victory in Peterborough, Mr Farage's silence was significant. He will be concerned that if his new party couldn't win here, where 61% of voters voted Leave in 2016, where can they win?

Something to chew over next time he is enjoying five-star roast beef and claret.