LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Conservatives hung onto victory in a special election closely watched as a test of surging Euroskeptic sentiment.
Conservative candidate Robert Jenrick won the Newark parliamentary seat by 7,400 votes — down from the 16,000-vote majority the party won in 2010.
The United Kingdom Independence Party came second with 10,000 votes, up from fifth place in 2010.
Some had predicted UKIP — which wants Britain to leave the European Union — would do even better after it gained more than a quarter of British votes in elections to the European Parliament last month.
Leader Nigel Farage said Friday he had hoped the party would do better but “for UKIP it’s still a good night’s work.”
Conservatives hailed the win, since voters often punish governing parties in mid-term elections.
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