HENLEY-ON-THAMES, England, June 27 (UPI) -- British Conservative Party leader David Cameron said the outcome of Thursday's Henley-on-Thames by-election was "disastrous" for the Labor Party.
The Conservative Party took the majority of votes, while the Labor Party slumped back from third to fifth place -- as the Green Party and the British National Party moved ahead, the Telegraph reported Friday.
"To have a further swing to Conservatives in such a strong Conservative seat, I really think is a very good result," the Tory leader said. "It is obviously a disastrous result for the Labor Party."
The Labor Party pulled in only 1,066 votes, The Times of London reported. Conservative candidate and businessman John Howell took the election with a majority of 10,116, the Times said.
Health Minister Ben Bradshaw blamed the results on the economy.
"When people start feeling the pinch ... because of rising fuel and food prices, they take out their anxiety and frustration on the incumbent government," he said.
Cameron said Prime Minister Gordon Brown was partially to blame for voters' money troubles because he was "in charge of the economy for 10 years and he didn't put aside money in the good years."
