Mark Reckless wins Rochester by-election for Ukip Mark Reckless held his Rochester and Strood seat after changing parties with 16,867 votes - a majority of 2,920 He defected on the eve of the Tory party conference, and David Cameron vowed to lead the fight to defeat him Ukip leader Nigel Farage said: 'All bets are off for a general election next year. Literally anything can happen The Conservatives came second with 13,947 votes. Labour came third with 6,713 overall turnout was 50.67 percent With 1,692 votes, the Green Party outpolled the Lib Dems by almost five to one to move into fourth place Liberal Democrats continued a humiliating string of by-election performances, with just 349 votes Nigel Farage today predicted more Tory MPs will defect after Mark Reckless was sworn in as Britain's second Ukip MP, hours after delivering a devastating blow to the Conservatives by winning the Rochester and Strood by-election. The Ukip leader said he would 'love a defections this afternoon' but predicted Conservatives nervous about losing their seats next year will study the polls to see if they should jump ship. Mr Reckless, who joined Ukip on the eve of the Tory conference in September, won his old seat for his new party by 2,920 votes, erasing the Tory majority of almost 10,000 that he secured in 2010. The result is embarrassing for David Cameron who just six weeks ago tore into Mr Reckless and vowed to kick his 'fat a***' out of the Commons. Today the Prime Minister insisted he is 'absolutely determined' to win the seat back at the general election. Ukip leader Nigel Farage said more Conservative MPs would consider defecting after seeing Ukip win a second by-election Mark Reckless today swore his allegiance to the Queen to take his seat in the Commons, hours after his by-election triumph in Rochester and Strood He was accompanied by Ukip MP Douglas Carswell (left) and Tory Eurosceptic MP Philip Hollobone, who has denied rumours he will be next to defect. After taking the oath Mr Reckless was shaken warmly by the hand by Commons Speaker John Bercow Mr Bercow interupted Commons proceedings on an NHS debate to announce that a new MP was to take their seat Ukip did not stand in Rochester and Strood in 2010, when Mr Reckless secured a majority of almost 10,000. It means the Tories lost 14 per cent of the vote in the by-election Prime Minister David Cameron vowed the Tories were 'absolutely determined' to win the seat back, but Mr Farage said Ukip was now on a roll Mr Cameron made five visits to campaign for Tory candidate Kelly Tolhurst, but failed to prevent a Ukip victory Mr Reckless beat Tory candidate Kelly Tolhurst, with Labour pushed into third. He follows Douglas Carswell into the Commons, after he became Ukip's first elected MP after defecting in August. The Liberal Democrats continued a humiliating string of by-election performances, finishing fifth behind the Greens with just 349 votes and losing another deposit. Turnout was 50.67 per cent. Commons Speaker John Bercow interrupted proceedings in the Chamber to announce that a new MP was to take his seat. Mr Reckless was accompanied by Mr Carswell and Tory Eurosceptic MP Philip Hollobone, who has denied he plans to defect. Mr Farage said he thought more Tories would now consider switching parties. If we can win here, we can win across the country He told BBC Radio 4: 'Where you get seats where the Conservatives have a majority over Labour but there's a big Labour second vote, then I think Ukip has a very strong chance of winning those constituencies. 'And my guess is this: I think there'll be a lot of sucking of teeth over the course of the next few weeks. And there'll be members of Parliament who work out, actually, they've got a better chance standing as Ukip. Now, if they join us I'll be delighted. If they don't, frankly, it doesn't really matter.' Earlier Mr Reckless said his victory had proved that Ukip could win nationwide and urged voters to ensure enough MPs were elected to hold the balance of power after 2015. 'Whichever constituency, whatever your former party allegiance, think of what it would mean to have a bloc of Ukip MPs at Westminster large enough to hold the balance of power,' he said. If you believe in freedom, if you believe in low taxes, if you believe in clean government, if you believe in localism, if you believe in people power. If you believe that the world is bigger than Europe, if you believe in an independent Britain, then come with us and we will give you back your country. He added: 'If we can win here, we can win across the country. If you vote Ukip, you get Ukip. A jubilant Nigel Farage celebrates the victory of Tory defector Mark Reckless who became Ukip's second elected MP in a devastating blow to the Conservatives Mr Reckless and his wife Catriona after the result was announced at the count in the early hours of Friday morning He won the Rochester and Strood by-election by a majority of 2,920 votes, six weeks after David Cameron vowed to kick his 'fat a***' out of the Commons He said the large number of Labour voters who switched their support to him showed that 'the radical tradition, which has stood and spoken for the working class, has found a new home in Ukip'. 'As Labour represents those comfortable at the top of the public sector, it is not Ed Miliband but Ukip that represents the concerns of most working men and women,' he declared from the stage after a six-hour count. The Conservatives tried to put a brave face on the defeat, insisting the margin was smaller than some polls had suggested. But it is embarrassing for Mr Cameron, who vowed after Mr Reckless' defection: 'We are coming for you in by-elections and we are going to throw everything we can at you.' Today the Prime Minister said: 'I am absolutely determined to win this seat back at the next general election because anything other than a Conservative government will put our recovery at risk and Ed Miliband in Downing Street. I am more determined than ever to deliver security for Britain. Mr Farage cheers as the votes are announced in Rochester. He said: 'All bets are now off for a general election in 2015' In his acceptance speech, Mr Reckless said: 'If we can win here, we can win across the country. And he told voters: 'You remain my boss, don't let me forget it' Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps said he was 'disappointed with the result' and sorry that Miss Tolhurst had not been elected When Mark Reckless defected to Ukip, the Tories went on the attack and vowed to defeat him in the by-election. But as the weeks passed, it became clear Ukip was on the up. Sept 28: Tory chairman Grant Shapps: 'He lied and lied and lied again.' Sept 29: David Cameron: 'Our people have knocked on doors, stuffed envelopes, licked stamps to get his fat a*** on the Commons benches, and this is how he repays them.' Sept 30: Tories vow to 'throw the kitchen sink' at winning the seat Oct 26: Ex-minister Damian Green: 'I think we're doing well in Rochester and Strood.' Oct 26: Defence Secretary Michael Fallon: 'We are not planning to fail there.' Oct 29: Ken Clarke: 'I very much hope that the residents of Rochester and Strood stand up to this prejudiced nonsense which is being, at the moment, propagated widely through sections of the media.' Nov 11: David Cameron: 'I would say to people who have previously voted Labour, Liberal, Green or anything, that if you want a strong local candidate and don't want some Ukip boost and all the uncertainty and instability that leads to, then Kelly [Tolhurt, Conservative candidate] is the choice.' Nov 16: Sir John Major: 'The policies of Ukip, the direction of Ukip is, it seems to me, profoundly un-British in every way. They are anti-politics; they are anti-foreigner; they are anti-immigrant; they are anti-aid. Nov 17: Tory MP Charles Walker: 'The danger is if you vote Ukip, the value of your house will go down.' The Leader of the Commons, William Hague, insisted that Conservative MPs had their sights focused on winning the general election in May, but admitted that he could not rule out further defections. Conservative MPs are very determined to win that general election. I don't have a crystal ball about what every MP will do, but certainly that is the mood of the Conservative Party at Westminster,' he told BBC News. Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps said he was 'disappointed with the result' and accepted that it would 'make it harder to do the things we want to do in terms of controlling immigration, carrying on with this economic recovery'. But he said the narrower-than-predicted margin of victory for Ukip meant Tory candidate Ms Tolhurst was well placed to wrest back the seat on May 7. Over the course of this campaign the gap has closed. They have ended up with about a 7% lead for Mark Reckless. They were predicting something over twice that level. So 2,900 is not a big majority now to try to win back in 170 days time,' he said. 'I'm very sorry that Kelly has not been elected but with 2,900 votes in it, it certainly puts her in strong contention for the general election and we will be fighting very hard to win this back.' He told the BBC: 'The future of this country ... wasn't on the ballot paper yesterday. It will be in 170 days' time. And that means that we really need to emphasise to people the risk of doing anything other than voting Conservative. The result suggests a row over whether Ukip would deport European migrants if Britain left the EU failed to dent the party's support. The MP sought to put behind him a controversy over his apparent suggestion that existing EU migrants could be forced to leave the UK if it pulled out of Europe. Mr Reckless insisted that he had enjoyed 'more than a dash of support from people who came here from other EU states'. 'They are now here as part of our community and they will always be welcome,' he added. If Ukip is to win nationwide - and we have proved tonight that we can - it must do so on that basis. We must be a party that speaks to and for the whole nation and everyone who lives within it. Tory party chairman Grant Shapps and chief whip Michael Gove were in the Rochester constituency yesterday hoping to maximise the Tory vote. Even while voting was still underway yesterday, Mr Farage was seen in a pub downing a pint. Mr Reckless was pictured with a glass of orange juice. Mr Reckless announced his defection to Ukip on the eve of the Tory party conference was designed to cause maximum damage to his former party. At the time Mr Shapps launched a ferocious attack on Mr Reckless, telling activists: 'He lied and he lied and he lied.' The Prime Minister was furious, and ordered Conservative HQ to do everything possible to hold Rochester in the by-election. Mr Cameron said Tory members had 'knocked on doors, stuffed envelopes, licked stamps to get his fat arse on the Commons benches, and this is how he repays them'. He visited the constituency five times to campaign for Miss Tolhurst, who was selected as the Conservative candidate in an open primary of all voters in the seat. Tory strategists confidently predicted victory, but as the weeks have passed it became clear that Ukip was well ahead. Some polls suggested Ukip had a lead of as much as 15 points. Mr Reckless was elected as Tory MP for Rochester and Strood in 2010 with a majority of 9,953. Mr Reckless said his victory had proved that Ukip could win nationwide and urged voters to ensure enough MPs were elected to hold the balance of power after 2015 Mr Farage told reporters: ' (David Cameron) put his own personal reputation on the line to fight this by-election and lost, so there you go,' before the pair reportedly headed to a nearby pub A smiling Mr Farage arrived at Medway Park ready for the announcement, telling waiting reporters: 'If little UKIP beats the governing party of the day, it'll be a massive win As voters went to the polls he claimed a Ukip victory will make 'a number of Tory MPs consider their position'. On the campaign trail, Mr Rochester revealed he held a 'cloak and dagger' meeting with one Tory MP to discuss the process of defection in detail, while another has contacted him by phone. A lot of Conservative MPs will be looking at the result closely. I think it's about Ukip being able to show we are taking votes from Labour as well as the Conservatives.' His victory comes after two years of major gains by UKIP in local and European elections. In 2012, with the Tories haemorrhaging support to UKIP, Mr Cameron promised to hold an in-out referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union if he remains Prime Minister after 2017. The move, with a promise of clawing powers back from Brussels, was thought to have placated many Eurosceptics on the Conservative backbenches. But in August this year Mr Carswell announced his shock defection to UKIP at a press conference in central London. Even as tellers in Kent started counting the votes, Mark Reckless appeared poised to join fellow Tory defector Douglas Carswell in returning to the Commons under the Eurosceptic party's banner Ballots are taken to Medway Park in Rochester (left) as the long process of counting begins (right). Ukip leader Nigel Farage has delivered a second bloody nose to David Cameron and the Conservatives The by-election result was delivered shortly after 4am. Mark Reckless received 16,867 votes, 42.10 per cent of the overall figure David Cameron visited the constituency five times to campaign for Tory candidate Kelly Tolhurst, but was unable to hold the seat Tory chief whip Michael Gove was also out campaigning for Miss Tolhurst on Thursday Mr Reckless lambasted the Prime Minister and senior Conservatives for not being 'serious about real change'. Weeks later, Mr Reckless appeared on the final day of Ukip conference in Doncaster, declaring: 'We all know the problem of British politics. People feel disconnected from Westminster. But disconnected is too mild a word. People feel ignored, taken for granted, overtaxed, over regulated, ripped off and lied to. He suggested Ukip success would take Britain closer to leaving the European Union, adding: 'The more UKIP MPs there are, the better the chance of our getting a fair, straight referendum where we have the best possible chance of restoring our nation's independence.' The rise and rise of the UK Independence Party... with a few hiccups along the way The UK Independence Party (UKIP) was founded in 1993 by Alan Sked (pictured) and in two decades has risen to become the fourth party of British politics The UK Independence Party (Ukip) was founded in 1993 by Alan Sked and other members of the cross-party Anti-Federalist League. This is how the party's history has unfolded: May 1, 1997: Ukip candidates stand in the general election but win no seats. Mr Sked resigns after the election, saying he is concerned about 'racist' elements. June 10, 1999: Under the leadership of millionaire businessman Michael Holmes, Ukip wins three seats in the European Parliament. A then little-known Nigel Farage becomes an MEP. June 10-13, 2004: Now under the leadership of Roger Knapman, Ukip comes third in European elections with 12 MEPs being elected. Chat-show host and former Labour MP Robert Kilroy-Silk joins the party during this campaign. July 23, 2004: Ukip comes third in the Hartlepool by-election. Mr Kilroy-Silk hints at ambitions to challenge Knapman. January 25, 2005: Mr Kilroy-Silk ends a tumultuous period by quitting the party, labelling it a 'joke'. He establishes is own party, called Veritas - Latin for truth. Mr Knapman says he will 'break open the champagne'. Former stockbroker Nigel Farage was first elected as an MEP in 1999, and became leader for the first time in 2006 May 5, 2005: Ukip fields 495 candidates in the general election and gains 2.3 per cent of the vote. It did not win any seats. April 4, 2006: Mr Farage demands an apology from David Cameron after he describes Ukip members as 'fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists, mostly'. Mr Cameron does not apologise. September 12, 2006: Mr Farage is elected leader with 45 per cent of the vote. June 4, 2009: Ukip comes second in the European elections with 16.5 per cent of the vote and 13 MEPs. November 26, 2009: Lord Pearson of Rannoch becomes leader, replacing Mr Farage, who stands down to challenge speaker John Bercow for his parliamentary seat. Former chat show host Robert Kilroy-SIlk joined UKIP in 2004, and he went on to become an MEP, but after a tumultuous period and talk of a leadership challenge, he quit and set up a new party: Veritas May 6, 2010: UKIP fields 572 candidates in the general election. Mr Farage is treated for broken ribs and minor injuries after a plane he is travelling in comes down at Hinton-in-the-Hedges Airfield near Brackley, Northamptonshire. He says he is 'lucky to be alive'. The party increases its share of the poll by 0.9 per cent but takes no seats. In Buckingham, Mr Farage polls 17 per cent but comes third behind Mr Bercow and John Stevens, the Buckinghamshire Campaign For Democracy candidate. August 17, 2010: Lord Pearson resigns as leader. November 5, 2010: Mr Farage completes his second coming as he is re-elected leader with 60.5 per cent of the vote. January 13, 2011: Paul Nuttall finishes fourth in the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election. At the 2010 general election Mr Farage stood against Commons Speaker John Bercow in his Buckinghamshire constituency, but was seriously injured on polling day after a plane he is travelling in comes down March 3, 2011: Jane Collins comes second in Barnsley Central by-election. Mr Farage welcomes this result, saying: 'The Lib Dems are no longer the voice of opposition in British politics - we are.' February 28, 2013: In the Eastleigh by-election following the resignation of Liberal Democrat MP Chris Huhne, Ukip candidate Diane James poles 27.8 per cent and 11,571 votes - the highest ever for any Ukip parliamentary candidate. The Lib Dems retained the seat. May 2, 2013: Ukip makes significant gains in local council elections, including in Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Kent. May 22, 2014: Ukip gains 27.49 per cent of the vote at European elections - the highest for any British party in that election. It gains 11 MEPs, taking its total to 24. Douglas Carswell became the first Ukip elected MP in the by-election he triggered after defecting from the Tories August 28, 2014: Clacton's Conservative MP Douglas Carswell, with a majority of more than 12,000, forces a by-election by defecting to UKIP and resigning from parliament, saying the Tories could not promise 'serious change' in Europe. His defection sparks speculation that MPs across the political spectrum could join UKIP. September 27, 2014: Rochester and Strood MP Mark Reckless forces a by-election by announcing his defection to Ukip. October 9, 2014: On David Cameron's 48th birthday, voters elect Douglas Carswell as Ukip's first MP in the Clacton by-election. In a bigger shock, Ukip comes within 617 votes of beating Labour in the Lancashire constituency of Heywood and Middleton. November 20: As voters go to the polls in Rochester and Strood, Mr Reckless says two more Tory MPs are in talks to defect.