Victory for May as Labour suffers historic defeat

Britain's main opposition Labour Party defeated UKIP's leader in a Brexit bastion, but in a second by-election suffered a landmark defeat to Prime Minister Theresa May's governing Conservatives on Friday.

The results saw the Brexit-championing UK Independence Party fail to capitalise on the June referendum vote to leave the European Union.

But while Labour celebrated fending off UKIP's bid to replace them in their traditional post-industrial heartlands, the historic loss elsewhere of a seat to the Conservatives was a big blow to their prospects in the 2020 general election.

In on Thursday's two parliamentary by-elections, Labour clung on to its Stoke-on-Trent Central seat, in the British city that registered the highest vote for leaving the EU.