Copeland victory shows Tories are party for the whole country, Theresa May says

The Prime Minister hailed the victory on the morning of the results

Theresa May in Copeland this morning (BBC)

The Prime Minister has hailed her party’s victory at the Copeland by-election as a sign that her government “delivers for everyone across the whole country”.

Speaking in the constituency the morning after the results Theresa May hailed Conservative activists and volunteers who she said were key to delivering the victory, as well as Trudy Harrison, the area’s new MP.

“What I think we’ve seen from this victory is that this truly is a government that is working for everyone and for every part of the country,” she said.

“That’s the message that we bring here to Copeland and that we will take across the country. Of course the reason that we won this by-election is that we had such a fantastic candidate in Trudy Harrison.

“Trudy isn’t just someone who talks about things, she actually rolls up here sleeves and gets things done.

“The people of Copeland are going to see that they have elected an MP who will listen to concerns, who is going to raise her voice, she will have the ear of government but she is going to make sure she delivers for Copeland.

“The Conservative party is going to deliver for everyone across the whole country, a country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.”

The Conservatives took the seat with 44 per cent of the vote compared to Labour’s 37 per cent.

The result was a reversal of the one seen at the 2015 general election when Labour won 42 per cent of the vote and the Conservatives 35 per cent.

Labour's Jeremy Corbyn says he was "disappointed" with the result but has rejected suggestions that he is to blame for the loss.