Rochester and Strood by-election 2014: latest poll tracker Kelly Tolhurst hopes to keep the seat for the Conservatives and she will undoubtedly be hoping that her role as a councillor for Rochester West on Medway Council will help to boost her status. Why are we having a by-election? Mr Reckless, who made the announcement at Ukip's annual conference, said that as a Conservative politician he felt he had not been able to keep his promises to voters, one of which was to get the country out of the EU. In his relatively brief parliamentary career, he has proved a persistent thorn in the side of the Conservative leadership. Elected for the first time in 2010, the bespectacled former solicitor - once described as looking like a country rector - has gained a reputation as one of Westminster's most rebellious MPs. Poll tracker The latest polling puts Ukip and Mark Reckless on a 15-point lead over the Conservatives, a situation that David Cameron will be desperate to turn around in the weeks leading up to the by-election. Mr Cameron could face a rebellion from within his own party if Ukip win a second seat - yet the current polling suggests just that: the Conservatives are heading for a humiliating defeat. When you compare this to how the state of play was in the 2010 general election the changing political landscape becomes ever more apparent: On the campaign trail Meet the candidates The full list of candidates: Political party Candidate Britain First Jayda Fransen Green Clive Gregory Liberal Democrat Geoff Juby Labour Naushabah Khan Ukip Mark Reckless Conservative Kelly Tolhurst