Labour victory in Cardiff South and Penarth by-election

Labour has kept hold of the Cardiff South and Penarth seat in Parliament following a by-election.

Stephen Doughty won the seat with 9,193 votes, a majority of 5,334 over the Conservatives. The Lib Dems were third, with Plaid Cymru fourth.

The turnout was 25.65% - down from more than 60% at the 2010 General Election.

Mr Doughty succeeds Alun Michael, who stood down after 25 years as an MP to stand in the police and crime commissioner elections.

The new MP beat seven other candidates to retain the seat for Labour.

Mr Doughty, a former head of Oxfam Cymru, said in his acceptance speech that his victory was a "condemnation" of the policies and priorities of the UK government, particularly in areas such as proposals for regional pay.

He called for stronger regulation of banks and a "greater sense of community and society", with more emphasis on fairness.

Mr Doughty also paid tribute to previous holders of the Cardiff South seat, including former Prime Minister Jim Callaghan and former Welsh First Secretary Alun Michael and promised to serve his constituents with humility.

Labour has held the seat since it was created in 1983 and the party's representation of southern Cardiff in Parliament has been unbroken since Mr Callaghan was first elected as an MP in 1945.

Cardiff South and Penarth includes inner-city neighbourhoods such as Grangetown and Butetown, the redeveloped waterfront around Cardiff Bay and the town of Penarth in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Its 78,000 voters makes it the biggest seat in Wales in terms of electors.

Parliamentary by-elections also took place in the seats of Corby and Manchester Central on Thursday.

And elections were also held for the newly-created police and crime commissioners were held for all 41 forces in England and Wales outside London.