LONDON
Britain’s anti-EU U.K. Independence Party won its first parliamentary seat Thursday night in a by-election triggered by a defecting Conservative lawmaker.
Douglas Carswell sparked the by-election when he switched from Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party to UKIP in August and stood down from his Clacton, Essex, parliamentary seat.
He retook the constituency for UKIP with a 12,404 majority. He had held the seat in the 2010 general election with a 12,068 majority for the Conservatives, who were forced into second place Thursday.
Carswell won 59.7 percent of the vote while Tory candidate Giles Watling secured 24.6 percent.
The Conservatives’ coalition partners the Liberal Democrats received 1.1 percent, coming fifth.
Speaking after the result, Carswell told his constituents: “I resigned from parliament to face this election because I answer first, foremost and last to you. You are my boss. I will not let you down.”
Referring to his new party, he added: “We must be a party for all Britain and all Britons: first and second generation as much as every other.”
In another by-election, Labour narrowly held onto Heywood and Middleton in Greater Manchester by 617 votes, with UKIP coming a close second.
Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps told BBC Breakfast Friday the result in Clacton was a "wake-up call."
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