The victory of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) in the seat of Rochester and Strood on Friday has generated a high level of buzz due not only to its significance, but the history leading up to the win.
Prime Minister David Cameron is left in an embarrassing situation, as he was adamant about the Conservatives' ability to win the seat - - he not only ordered his MPs to visit the area on three occasions, but he also personally visited the constituency five times as a show of his commitment to the Rochester voters. Furthermore, UKIP's new MP Mark Reckless joined the party after leaving the Conservatives, and joins another Conservative defector, Douglas Carswell, who also won for UKIP in an October by-election.
UKIP has been very vocal since Friday, with leader Nigel Farage confidently exclaiming that "all bets are off" for the next general election, scheduled for May 2015, and that the outcome is "up in the air". The victorious Reckless, who was sworn in as a MP on Friday with Carswell by his side, said to the media that his party can now win in any constituency, as Rochestor was UKIP's 271st most-winnable seat. He even urged other Conservatives to make the move across to UKIP, a decision that he accepted is "very individual," as he described a party that believes in an "independent Britain" and will give citizens back their country.
Labour leader Ed Milliband did not hesitate to express his opinion about the by-election result, calling it "devastating" for Cameron. However, Cameron remains undeterred by UKIP's win, and has picked up where he left off prior to voting. The prime minister once again vowed to win in Rochester, asserting that the Conservatives will gain back the seat next May.
While Farage also believes that the number of seats that UKIP can win in May's general election has doubled, election analyst Professor John Curtice maintains that the "challenge facing UKIP is clear".
