Oldham West by-election results: Labour's Jim McMahon wins with 62 per cent of the vote

Victory: Labour candidate Jim McMahon with his partner Charlene.
Gareth Fuller/PA Wire
Hannah Al-Othman4 December 2015
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Jeremy Corbyn successfully passed his first electoral test on Thursday night, as voters in the Oldham West and Royton by-election returned a Labour MP with an increased share of the vote.

Labour's Jim McMahon saw off a strong challenge from Ukip to storm to victory with a majority of more than 10,000, which will provide some relief to Mr Corbyn, whose leadership would have been called into question had the party lost the Greater Manchester seat it has held for decades.

Corbyn, who has faced a torrid week for his leadership following bitter in-fighting over air strikes in Syria, hailed the result as a "vote of confidence in our party."

He said: "By-elections can be difficult for the party holding the seat, and turnouts are often low. But to increase our share of the vote since the general election is a vote of confidence in our party.

"It's a clear demonstration that Labour is the party working people trust.

"Our determination to oppose Tory austerity policies, and our successes in pushing them back on tax credit and police cuts show that Labour is getting results for working people.

"With the Tories going nowhere in Oldham, Ukip has benefited from a protest vote. But this first electoral test in the new parliament has made clear Labour is the real alternative for Britain."

Turnout in the battle for the Oldham West and Royton seat, which was prompted by the death of veteran MP Michael Meacher, was higher than expected, at just over 40 per cent.

Mr McMahon polled 17,209 votes, with Ukip's John Bickley trailing in second on 6,487, giving Westminster's newest MP a majority of 10,722.

Labour's share of the vote increased by more than seven points to 62.1 per cent and there was a 2.27 per cent swing from Ukip to Labour.

Tory James Daly was third with 2,596, 9.37 per cent of the vote, while the Liberal Democrats lost their deposit after Jane Brophy secured just 1,024 votes, a 3.7 per cent share.

Last October Mr Bickley almost overturned an 11,000 Labour majority in a by-election in the neighbouring Heywood and Middleton constituency, losing by just 600 votes.

He said Oldham West and Royton was a "different type of constituency with different demographics" in a "very strong Labour heartland".

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