The opposition Labour party has won byelections to both Manchester Central and Cardiff South, in what is being dubbed as a crucial mid-term poll test of David Cameron’s government.
And voting has ended in the Corby by-election – a seat widely expected to be won by the Labour.
Prior to the bypolls, Prime Minister Cameron’s Conservatives were defending a slim 3.6 percentage point majority from the last election in 2010 over a Labour opposition which has surged ahead in national opinion polls.
In Manchester Central, Labour candidate Lucy Powell (11,507) won with a majority of 9,936, the BBC reported. Liberal Democrat Marc Ramsbottom (1,571) finished second while Conservative Matthew Sephton (754) was third.
According to the BBC, the turnout in Manchester Central in Thursday’s bypolls was 18.16% – the lowest in a UK Parliamentary by-election since World War II.
In Cardiff South, Labour’s Stephen Doughty won with 9,193 votes, Conservative Craig Williams was second with 3,859 and Lib Dem Bablin Molik was third with 2,103. Labour’s majority was 5,334 and the turnout was 25.65%.
