Labour seat hold overshadowed by UKIP success
Labour comfortably held the seat of South Shields after a by-election marked mainly by UKIP's success and the dire failure of the Lib Dems.
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The police 'has taken its share of pain'
The Police Federation Chair Steve Williams has told the Home Secretary Theresa May that "on a daily basis our members are having to make tough decisions".
Addressing the conference Mr Williams said the federation "understood the financial realities but the police service has taken its share of pain and some would argue more than its fair share".
"But what has not helped is that times it has felt more like a punishment than an exercise in frugality" he continued.
"That what should be a cut bought about by fiscal difficulties feels like a penalty or punishment for bad conduct. Too often the behaviour of the small minority of officers is held up as that of the majority".
Read: 'Jeering the Home Secretary did us no favours' by Police Fed Chair Steve Williams.
Tories must give voters 'greater certainty' over EU
The Conservatives must give voters "greater certainty" that they will be given a say on Britain's membership of the European Union, Home Secretary Theresa May acknowledged today.
After the Tories suffered heavy losses to the UK Independence Party in the council elections, Mrs May said it was essential voters believed the party would honour its promise to hold an in/out referendum on EU membership after the next general election.
However she rejected calls from some senior Conservatives to bring forward the date of the referendum and stage it in this parliament in order to finally kill off the appeal of Ukip to Tory voters.
She said that it was important that they stood by David Cameron's plan to re-negotiate the terms of Britain's membership and then put the new settlement to the country.
"If you want to take a re-negotiated settlement to the British people, you have got to re-negotiate it," she told the BBC Radio 4 Today.
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Lib Dems couldn't 'compete seriously' in South Shields
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has responded to election results after UKIP gained at least 88 county councillors, and the Liberal Democrats secured just 352 votes at South Shields.
Mr Clegg defended the result saying that the party was "on a journey" from being a "protest party" to a "government party".
David Miliband congratulates successor
David Miliband, who triggered the South Shields contest when he decided to quit as an MP, congratulated Labour's Emma Lewell-Buck, who won the seat with a reduced majority of 6,505.
Congrats @emmalewellbuck and Labour team in #southshields. Holding 50% of vote very good result.
From @DMiliband on Twitter:Lib Dem president: South Shields result is 'shocking'
Liberal Democrat party president Tim Farron has described the result in South Shields as "shocking" for his party, but insisted the outcome did not represent the whole picture.
Mr Farron told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme:"The Westminster battlegrounds are where it is at and for the Lib Dems, South Shields is one extreme where we have got little strength on the ground and have been obliterated.
"Then you look at other places like Cheltenham, Taunton, Eastbourne, hopefully west London, places like West Dorset where we have got to win at the next election where we are doing extremely well.
"Most of our battles are against the Tories and against the Tories we are doing very well."
Lib Dems fall to seventh in South Shields by-election
The Liberal Democrats fell to seventh in the South Shields by-election with Emma Lewell-Buck retaining the seat for Labour.
Lewell-Buck became the first woman MP for the constituency with a majority 6,505, claiming more than 50 percent of the vote:
Labour: 12,493
UKIP: 5,988
Conservatives: 2,857
Independent candidate: 1,311
Independent Socialist Party: 750
BNP: 711
Liberal Democrats: 352
Monster Raving Loony Party: 197
Independent Candidate: 57
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Nigel Farage: Numerically, we're the third party
UKIP leader Nigel Farage told Daybreak that today's result in South Shields was "remarkable".
He said: "People haven't seen us as being relevant for local elections, or in some ways general elections, so for us to be scoring at least 26% of the vote where we stand is, I think, very significant indeed."
When asked about whether the party had now entered a four-party race, Mr Farage replied: "Numerically we're the third [party] because the Lib Dems are trailing behind."
He added: "This wave of protests certainly isn't short term, it's lasting."
Lib Dems: We are doing well in our own territories
Deputy Liberal Democrat leader Simon Hughes has congratulated Labour on their South Shields win.
The Lib Dems came seventh place in the by-election, speaking to Daybreak Mr Hughes said, "the Tories were always the challengers and they've been knocked out by UKIP."
He added: "We appear to be doing well in our territory and not giving that up."
Labour: South Shields win is a 'really good solid result'
Hilary Benn MP for Labour told Daybreak he was "delighted" for Labour candidate Emma Lewell-Buck's win in South Shields.
He said: "It's a really good solid result."
UKIP pushed the Tories into third place, collecting 24.21% of the votes, Mr Benn added, "UKIP have clearly done very well, it's a part of protest and times are really tough."
South Shields MP: 'Families need government support'
As she won the South Shields by-election, Labour's Emma Lewell-Buck said the coalition Government was taking the country in the wrong direction.
In her maiden speech, she said: "Mr Cameron, when working families need a Government on their side, you made them pay for a tax cut for millionaires."
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