UKIP had been confident of victory in the election for a new police and crime commissioner in South Yorkshire, but Labour won by a clear margin
Nigel Farage suffered a crushing blow on Friday as Labour defeated UKIP to win the election for a new police and crime commissioner in South Yorkshire.
UKIP had been confident of victory after Labour’s previous commissioner Shaun Wright resigned over the Rotherham child abuse scandal.
But Labour’s Alan Billings took 50.2% of the vote with UKIP a distant second on 31.66%.
The Tories were third on 12.52%, just ahead of the English Democrats.
Turnout was just 14.88%.
Mr Billings said: “This brings the UKIP advance to a shuddering halt.”
A Labour source said: “Nigel Farage said that he was putting his tanks on our lawn in the North. Well, we took UKIP on and won.
Labour claimed the Tory result was “disastrous”.
The source added: “This performance shows they have no chance of forming a majority Government.”
