Ukip means mainstream parties should stop seeing voters as ‘theirs’

How are the two parties reacting to their bruising night in the two by-elections? David Cameron – after telling us, helpfully, that ‘there were two by-elections last night’ – went on to say repeatedly that the results spoke to a ‘wider truth’, that if you vote Ukip, you’re in danger of getting a government led by Ed Miliband.

Miliband said the Tory party were 'in retreat on what used to be their front line in the North West' but that there wouldn't be a 'shred of complacency' from his party in reaching out to those who either didn't vote Labour or didn't vote at all. He disappeared into a convenient car before he had a chance to answer the inconvenient question about Ukip doing so well and coming so close to Labour.