Six things we’ve learnt from the Newark by-election

So, the Tories have managed to hold onto Newark with a surprising 7,000 majority. For Ukip, it was a disappointing evening as they failed to come close to taking the seat. Despite adding 22 points to their 2010 vote share, the march of the People’s Army has encountered some unexpectedly difficult terrain. There were some interesting signs about the state of the parties and some hints as to what we might see in the general election next year. Here are six things that we’ve learnt from Newark:

1. Ukip are far from a Westminster breakthrough

Despite picking a local candidate in Roger Helmer and putting in a significant amount of effort (for them), Ukip’s dreams of returning their first MP have not come to fruition. Some will blame choosing a candidate with outspoken views, others would argue that Newark was never winnable for Ukip in the first place. But either way, the momentum gained by Ukip at the European elections is not looking so strong this morning.