Labour has suffered a humiliating defeat by the Tories in Copeland but managed to see off UKIP leader Paul Nuttall in Stoke in a night of double by-election drama.

Jeremy Corbyn's critics blamed him for defeat in Copeland, which saw the Conservatives' Trudy Harrison snatch a shock victory with a majority of 2,147.

Image: Copeland by-election

But the bid by UKIP's leader - whose by-election campaign had lurched from one crisis to another - to win a seat in Parliament failed by 2,620 votes.

:: LIVE: Reaction as Corbyn faces questions after Labour loss

In Stoke-on-Trent Central, Labour's Gareth Snell, who had also attracted criticism for his own campaign, won comfortably with 7,853 votes to Mr Nuttall's 5,233.


Image: Trudy Harrison celebrated her win with husband Keith

After a night of tension and high drama at the Copeland count in Whitehaven, Ms Harrison beat Labour's Gillian Troughton, whose by-election campaign was almost entirely about the NHS.

In a seat held by former Labour MP Jamie Reed at the 2015 general election with a 2,500 majority, the Conservatives increased their vote share by more than 8%, while Labour's was down nearly 5%.

:: Analysis: Corbyn election win 'impossible'

Despite appalling weather brought to the Cumbrian constituency by Storm Doris, turnout in Copeland was a respectable 51.33%, above average for a by-election, though it was just 38% in Stoke-on-Trent Central.

Image: Copeland by-election

After her relatively comfortable victory, which came after predictions at the count that the result was on a knife-edge, Ms Harrison told Sky News: "The people are ready for change".

"I think we ran an extremely positive campaign and it was a campaign that represented the needs of this area. And I know this area because I have lived here all of my life.

"I think that, and the combination of Jeremy Corbyn's views on nuclear in an area which is so dependent on Sellafield and on Moorside, contributed to my win tonight."

Image: Copeland by-election share

Minutes earlier, in her victory speech, in the Whitehaven Sports Centre, Ms Harrison - a mother of four daughters - said the result was a "truly historic event".

She said: "It's been very clear talking to people throughout this campaign that Jeremy Corbyn doesn't represent them.

"They want a party which is on the side of ordinary working people, which will respect the way we voted in the referendum and which will build a country which represents everyone. That's why they voted for me tonight."

Image: Copeland by-election change in share

Labour's defeat was embarrassing because it was the first by a Government over an Opposition in a by-election since 1982, when Labour was also split and led by an unpopular left-wing leader.

Image: Stoke by-election result

Then, under Michael Foot's leadership, 28 Labour MPs defected to the SDP and only one, Bruce Douglas-Mann, resigned and defended his seat in a by-election and was defeated by the Conservatives' Angela Rumbold in Mitcham and Morden.

Image: Stoke-on-Trent Central by-election results

Reacting to the by-election results, Mr Corbyn said: "Labour's victory in Stoke is a decisive rejection of UKIP's politics of division and dishonesty. But our message was not enough to win through in Copeland.

"In both campaigns, Labour listened to thousands of voters on the doorstep. Both constituencies, like so many in Britain, have been let down by the political establishment.

"To win power to rebuild and transform Britain, Labour will go further to reconnect with voters, and break with the failed political consensus."

Snell on Labour victory in Stoke Central

But Labour's defeat in Copeland, a seat which has been solidly Labour since it was created in 1983, immediately reignited attacks on the Labour leader.

One Labour source told Sky News: "Jeremy Corbyn was the issue in Copeland. Paul Nuttall was the issue in Stoke. It looks like the results reflect that."

In Stoke, Labour's share of the vote fell by around 2%, while UKIP's went up by the same amount.

The victorious Mr Snell said voters had chosen "the politics of hope over the politics of fear".

UKIP leader vows to stay on after Stoke loss

He added: "Our city has been the focus of a media which all too often prefers to dwell on our problems instead of highlighting our achievements.

"But over these last few weeks a city lazily dubbed by some as the capital of Brexit has once again proven to the world that we are so much more than that.

"We have said with one voice that hatred and bigotry are not welcome here. This is a proud city and we stand together."

Labour's victory in Stoke is a decisive rejection of UKIP's politics of division. But our message was not enough to win through in Copeland — Jeremy Corbyn MP (@jeremycorbyn) February 24, 2017

A defeated and dejected Mr Nuttall said UKIP was "not going anywhere" and insisted the party's "time would come".

"There's a lot more to come from us," he said. "We are not going anywhere, I'm not going anywhere."

Image: Stoke by-election share

And despite being forced to admit he had not, as his website previously said, lost a close personal friend at Hillsborough in 1989, the UKIP leader said the "whole Hillsborough thing" had not been an issue on the doorstep.

Image: Stoke by-election change in share

But Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron claimed: "This is the beginning of the end for UKIP. They no longer have a purpose.

"Theresa May has adopted Farage's approach to Brexit and her government has become indistinguishable from UKIP."