Britain's Conservatives hold back Euroskeptic tide in election for House of Commons seat

LONDON – Britain's Conservatives hung onto victory in a special election closely watched as a test of surging Euroskeptic sentiment.

Conservative candidate Robert Jenrick won the Newark parliamentary seat by 7,400 votes — down from the 16,000-vote majority the party won in 2010.

The United Kingdom Independence Party came second with 10,000 votes, up from fifth place in 2010.

Some had predicted UKIP — which wants Britain to leave the European Union — would do even better after it gained more than a quarter of British votes in elections to the European Parliament last month.

Leader Nigel Farage said Friday he had hoped the party would do better but "for UKIP it's still a good night's work."

Conservatives hailed the win, since voters often punish governing parties in mid-term elections.