BY-ELECTION: Labour retains Rotherham seat

LABOUR’S Sarah Champion is Rotherham’s new MP after the party weathered a by-election backlash.

The children’s hospice chief took 46 per cent of the vote, ahead of UKIP's Jane Collins in second place with 21.6 per cent.

Delighted Ms Champion, the town's first woman MP, thanked her campaign team and said: “The hard work starts now.

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"Tomorrow I will start dealing with the many issues raised with me during the campaign.

"I will serve as MP as I have at Bluebell Wood, not for what I can get out of it but for what I can put back in."

Ms Champion won 9,866 votes, a majority of 5,218 over Ms Collins, who doubled UKIP's 2010 vote count.

The BNP's Marlene Guest finished in third with 1,804 votes, ahead of Respect's Yvonne Ridley with 1,778.

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Cllr Mahroof Hussain, whose hopes of the Labour nomination were shot down by the party at national level, said: "From a personal point of view it would have been nice.

"But Sarah was chosen and Rotherham needs Labour, not soundbites from the likes of UKIP."

Rother Valley MP Kevin Barron said: "I'm looking forward to working with Sarah, she's done some terrific work with Bluebell Wood and now the Rotherham constituency will see that."

Rotherham Borough Council leader Cllr Roger Stone added: "It's like starting afresh. She has no baggage, she's very bright and she'll learn."

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Turnout was 33.89 per cent, compared with 59 per cent in the General Election two years ago.

Dr MacShane, Rotherham’s MP since 1994, resigned on November 2 over false expenses claims.

RESULTS IN FULL:

BECKETT, MichaelLiberal Democrats 451 
BRISTOW, ClintIndependent 29 
CHAMPION, Sarah DeborahLabour 9,866 ELECTED 
COLLINS, Jane MariaUKIP 4,648 
COPLEY, Simon KeithIndependent 582 
DICKSON, PaulIndependent 51 
DYSON, RalphTrade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts 261 
GUEST, MarleneBritish National Party 1,804 
RIDLEY, YvonneRespect 1,778 
WILDGOOSE, David BasilEnglish Democrats 703 
WILSON, Simon FrancisConservative 1,157

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