UKIP eyes up West Midlands seats after by-election win

They declared there was 'no such thing as a safe seat'.

The Conservatives say they believe the result was better than expected as defecting MP Mark Reckless held on to the seat with a majority of less than 3,000 votes, despite predictions of a landslide.

The Black Country and Staffordshire contain some of the most marginal seats in the country. To win a majority the Tories cannot afford to lose seats they won in 2010 and have to overturn slender Labour majorities in other marginal seats.

But UKIP could split the vote in many seats and now declares the contest wide open following Mr Reckless's election in Rochester and Strood, Kent, with a majority of 2,920.

Jill Seymour, UKIP MEP for the West Midlands is contesting The Wrekin, held by Tory Mark Pritchard with a strong 9,450 majority.

Mrs Seymour said: "There's no such thing as a safe seat in the UK now.

"Every seat in this country is up for grabs by UKIP.

"Politicians have to realise that people have never been voting UKIP out of protest. They have felt for years that it is time for a different party in politics and more and more people have come to that conclusion.

"They come out with the same rhetoric that a vote for UKIP means someone else gets into power. People see through that because they know it is about who they want to represent them."

Dudley North is held by Labour's Ian Austin with a majority of 649 votes - the most marginal seat in the Black Country.

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Although it was the Tories that ran him close in 2010, UKIP has seen a surge in support with council seats and the European Parliament elections.

The party's candidate Bill Etheridge claims it is a 'two horse' race between UKIP and Labour.

The campaign has become increasingly bitter as Mr Etheridge has hit out at Mr Austin for referring to a video of UKIP leader Nigel Farage discussing an insurance model for the National Health Service.

He said: "In Dudley North it is on a knife edge. Forget the lacklustre Tories, it's a two horse race between me and Labour. Our fantastic result in Rochester, and our popularity in Dudley North, shows that UKIP is attracting votes from across the political divide.

"Let's make it completely clear – UKIP would not charge people to see their GPs and would not privatise our NHS. Labour has a wafer thin majority in Dudley North and is clinging on to dear life as we take our common sense messages to the streets.

UKIP West Midlands MEP James Carver, who is UKIP's candidate for Stourbridge, said: "We are attracting support from both the Tories and Labour.

"Both Labour and the Tories are equally as worried about UKIP. Our result in Rochester shows the people of Stourbridge that we are taking votes from across the political spectrum.

"The Tories said they were throwing the kitchen sink at their election campaign in Rochester. The only problem was they did not put the plug in. These are exciting times indeed in British politics," he added.

Conservative MP Margot James, who is defending a 5,164 majority in Stourbridge, said: "By-elections often cause shocks.

"I take the views of people who support UKIP very seriously. I don't disparage anyone who has voted for them.

"But I believe people know that when it comes to the General Election it is about who you want to be Prime Minister. And the risk with UKIP is they allow Labour to threaten all that has been achieved in improving the economy when there is still a lot of work to do."

Cannock Chase is also held by the Tories with a majority of 3,195. Polls have suggested Labour is on course to win it back but UKIP became the main opposition on the district council after the May elections.

Gavin Williamson, Tory MP for South Staffordshire and an aide to David Cameron, said the Rochester result was not a disaster for the Conservatives.

"There was a massive amount of expectation that UKIP would win by a landslide.

"They did not. And I am confident that we will win the seat back in 2015.

"Labour and the Liberal Democrats saw their vote collapse.

"We are going to campaign on the important issues - the economy and securing Britain's future.

"Voting UKIP poses a real threat that Ed Miliband could get into Downing Street. That will be a major worry for a lot of people."

The final days of the campaign were marked with controversy as Mr Reckless suggested that a Polish plumber might only be allowed to stay for a fixed period if the UK left the European Union. He later said his words had been twisted and all EU migrants would be allowed to stay with a work permit.

Emma Reynolds MP, Labour MP for Wolverhampton North East and shadow housing minister, said: "Once again, a UKIP candidate has let the mask slip to show the extent of UKIP's nasty and divisive views, and its outdated vision for Britain. To hear the language of repatriation coming from a senior UKIP member like Mark Reckless is shameful.

"This sort of language does not reflect British values. Instead, it comes straight out of the last BNP manifesto.

"Rather than try and excuse or explain away these comments, UKIP need to be clear to Mark Reckless that they were totally unacceptable.

"UKIP's failure to do this is just the latest evidence that it is fast becoming the new nasty party. A UKIP council candidate in Walsall claimed Mo Farah wasn't British. Another council candidate attacked Lenny Henry for the colour of his skin. Far from offering change for the better, UKIP only offer a return to a divided Britain and old fashioned prejudice. Where UKIP are concerned, nasty views are never far below the surface."