Labour in chaos after humiliating fourth place finish behind Tories, Ukip and Lib Dems in the Sleaford by-election

LABOUR were plunged into further chaos today after a humiliating fourth place finish in the Sleaford by-election.

The dismal result in the pro-Leave Lincolnshire seat prompted MPs to demand more clarity on Brexit from hapless party chief Jeremy Corbyn.

Birmingham MP Jess Phillips hit out: “If this was another election about Brexit, I think the cut through of the Labour Party is shown in the result.”

New Conservative MP Caroline Johnson smashed her opponents with a 13,144 majority, taking 54 per cent of the votes, with UKIP a distance second and the Lib Dems in third.

Mr Corbyn’s party slipped from second place at the last election general election to fourth with only 3,300 votes.

Labour were widely mocked after spinning the result by saying: “We kept our deposit which some people said we were going to lose.”

Labour MP Vernon Coaker said: “It was a difficult seat. Let’s remember this is a safe Tory seat, Ukip came here expecting to do much better than they did so it’s a bad result for them.

“But clearly for us, this was not the result we might have hoped for.

“The challenge for us was because of Brexit. Everything was about Brexit.”

But angry Labour MP’s hit back predicting a wipe-out at the next General Election based on these results.

David Winnick said: “Even if one takes into account that the by-election turnout was considerably lower than in the general election, it was an appalling result for Labour.”

“If we were to continue in this way then the indications are 2020 will be an electoral disaster and the possibility of a Labour government very remote indeed.”

The Walsall North MP went on: “The sort of bunker mentality that seems to exist at the moment at the highest levels of the party needs to recognise what is happening in the outside world.”

Former Chancellor George Osborne lampooned the party: “The disintegration of the Labour Party is not good for democracy. Oppositions are meant to try to win by-elections, not slip from 2nd to 4th.”

The poor result at the ballot box came as YouGov showed Labour polling their worst ever rating in opposition.

Their latest poll has the Tories ahead on 42 per cent, but Labour trailing way behind in 25 per cent nationally.

Ukip’s12 per cent put them just one point ahead of the Lib Dems, who had the backing of 11 per cent of likely voters.

The bleak picture was Labour’s worst polling report since the dying days of Gordon Brown’s administration in 2009.