Update, 6am Friday:
In a stunning rebuke to Labour, the Tories became the first governing party to win a by-election in some 30 years when they won the Copeland seat in West Cumbria. The win overshadowed Labour’s hold in the Stoke on Trent contest, where a challenge from UKIP evaporated.
Conservatives take Copeland in humiliating blow to Labourhttps://t.co/5TGLS75Uil by @sam_lister_
— PA Media (@PA) February 24, 2017
Copeland result:
Conservatives: 44.3%
Labour: 37.3%
Lib Dems: 7.2%
UKIP: 6.5%
Independent: 2.6%
Greens: 1.7%Turnout – 51.27% pic.twitter.com/hMABkQTfS9
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) February 24, 2017
#Stokebyelection result:
Labour: 37.1%
UKIP: 24.7%
Conservative: 24.3%
Lib Dems: 9.8%
Greens: 1.4%Turnout – 36.7%https://t.co/8aMJmkppBq pic.twitter.com/UlLblLYPxu
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) February 24, 2017
Humiliation for Jeremy Corbyn as the Tories take Copeland from Labour in historic by-election victory https://t.co/Ca0rlM1zjJ pic.twitter.com/rnyjz2RNGW
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) February 24, 2017
UK (Copeland by-election): is a historic loss for Labour(S&D) and a huge win for #May's Conservative (ECR) government.#CopelandByElection pic.twitter.com/Z2oLLtjLaV
— Europe Elects (@EuropeElects) February 24, 2017
#CopelandByElection is biggest swing for a government since 1966, when Labour won Hull North. Wilson decided to call an Election soon after pic.twitter.com/0797LD5t8u
— Tides of History (@labour_history) February 24, 2017
Labour WIN Stoke by-election thrashing Paul Nuttall in humiliation for Ukip leader #StokeCentral #stokebyelection https://t.co/qFrzR957Cb pic.twitter.com/VCN6n7k56D
— Mirror Politics (@MirrorPolitics) February 24, 2017
The last MP who represented #Copeland who wasn't a member of the Labour party was Wililiam Nunn (a Conservative). He was born in 1879.
— Lewis Goodall (@lewis_goodall) February 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/ChadFrickley/status/835015532978012164
Earlier: Labour hopes to hold two key seats
Polls have closed in by-elections in two constituencies in Stoke on Trent and Copeland, in West Cumbria. Labour is defending both seats, and has never lost either constituency.
https://twitter.com/newsbott3r/status/834893951249309697
Merry By-Election Day in 2 British districts: https://t.co/cLdNuCGtIH
Any U.S. political nerds prefer "by-election" to "special election"?
— Greg Giroux (@greggiroux) February 24, 2017
"We have to win them both," says Labour MP @JonAshworth on #Stoke and #Copeland byelections #Newsnight pic.twitter.com/6Fccu1e7v9
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) February 23, 2017
Paul Nuttall confirms he won’t be in Stoke for the by-election result, but hopes to follow it from the International Space Station.
— Have I Got News For You (@haveigotnews) February 23, 2017
It's a big day for Paul Nuttall – but he's had plenty of those over the years… #NuttallFacts #StokeByElection pic.twitter.com/I0kDLqyhyp
— JOE (@JOE_co_uk) February 23, 2017
Up the Arse! – and I thought they supported Stoke City up here! #Gunners pic.twitter.com/EfLiQGuxfo
— Jeremy Corbin MP, Prime Ministerial Parody (@CorbynSnap) February 23, 2017
Going to bed now. Given politics recently, I expect to wake up to the news that Trump has won Copeland and Ebola has won Stoke.
— Tom Freeman (@SnoozeInBrief) February 24, 2017
***
WORLD
The UN needs $4.4bn by the end of next month to prevent famine in South Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen https://t.co/XtDsLC9w0e pic.twitter.com/YmOFOQb4mX
— Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) February 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/834734605966114816
Iraqi forces capture Mosul airport in a major gain to driving Islamic State from western half of city: state TV. https://t.co/WPqsdGmqvp pic.twitter.com/mZ5wFfG7Bc
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 23, 2017
If i ran a Russian life insurance company, I'd want to have a lot of political intel before I sold a plan to a public official. https://t.co/nVautBi5PP
— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) February 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/ldobsonhughes/status/834895466001219585
***
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
LISTEN: Audio from @Reuters exclusive interview with Trump on U.S. nuclear arsenal, North Korea and China. https://t.co/ZP9bPCngKD pic.twitter.com/QlFPqnEweK
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 23, 2017
New: Trump DOJ re-opens door to private prisons, rescinds Obama era policy to gradually reducing their role in federal incarceration: pic.twitter.com/E8r0w5PnZB
— Ari Melber (@AriMelber) February 23, 2017
1. Ties to the "alt-right" are no longer beneficial for Breitbart, and CPAC is hard at work helping them clean up. https://t.co/274Qz7TeEO pic.twitter.com/sTJKu1qb6n
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) February 23, 2017
Bannon impressively candid on CPAC stage that Trump top agenda item is to launch a series of trade wars across world
— David Frum (@davidfrum) February 23, 2017
CPAC 2017: Bannon predicts daily fight with media as Trump pursues agenda https://t.co/84qN6rtruu via @AdamShawNY pic.twitter.com/kZZf0wZbxc
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 23, 2017
White nationalist leader Richard Spencer kicked out of CPAC https://t.co/IuGOYuSSen pic.twitter.com/ic525Ysinr
— The Hill (@thehill) February 23, 2017
'President Donald J. Trump will speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Friday, February 24' https://t.co/4j6Ky7nWgf pic.twitter.com/0n1WQ26fj5
— President Trump 45 Archived (@POTUS45) February 23, 2017
Here is Kellyanne Conway's full CPAC quote about how Donald Trump has sacrified money, power, prestige and fame to be president. pic.twitter.com/x9X9Bf0ISj
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) February 23, 2017
Trump supports states’ right to discriminate against trans kids, not to legalize pot. https://t.co/VV7AAKF06i pic.twitter.com/lRWMk5nrV3
— Slate (@Slate) February 23, 2017
CNN BREAKING: FBI refused White House request to knock down recent Trump-Russia stories
https://t.co/CI2vubdSEg— Vaughn Sterling (@vplus) February 23, 2017
For a group that went nuts (rightfully) at Bill Clinton talking to the AG, it takes a bit of chutzpah to ask the FBI to do your PR work.
— Sam Stein (@samstein) February 23, 2017
Paul Manafort faced blackmail attempt, hacks suggest https://t.co/69KRlfw4Rl pic.twitter.com/7NRrLAmR51
— POLITICO (@politico) February 23, 2017
US retreats from Trump pledge on China currency manipulation https://t.co/dIMgcHcuqM via @FT
— Victor Mallet (@VJMallet) February 24, 2017
Report: Sessions and Trump forced DeVos to rescind trans school protections. https://t.co/t0YJ3Oya7f pic.twitter.com/bWgNvJtzVQ
— Slate (@Slate) February 24, 2017
***
CULTURE
Watch the Opening Credits of an Imaginary 70s Cop Show Starring Samuel Beckett https://t.co/RT2aDmMaTb pic.twitter.com/PObSiSATqb
— Open Culture (@openculture) February 23, 2017
***
SPORTS
After all that Claudio Ranieri has done for Leicester City, to sack him now is inexplicable, unforgivable and gut-wrenchingly sad.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) February 23, 2017
"A total and utter disgrace"
Plenty of former players have had their say on Claudio Ranieri's sacking.
More: https://t.co/ISEHuAKkU7 pic.twitter.com/yqgnROmAap
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) February 23, 2017
Thank you Leicester City supporters, thank you all 💙💙💙#lcfc #Ranieri pic.twitter.com/CUTEut6ZtB
— Claudio Ranieri (@DonRanieri) February 23, 2017
Finally, a sponsorship opportunity for Cigna or a CPR kit manufacturer..
New at Rangers & Royals Spring Training Games: A Hot Dog wrapped in a Burger wrapped in Bacon (via @JoshFrigerio) pic.twitter.com/RlY6p9R3P2
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) February 23, 2017
The Overnight Note 