UK Conservatives hold Parliament seat by reduced margin

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s governing Conservative Party has held onto a seat in Parliament in a special election triggered by a lawmaker’s death. But the party saw its margin of victory slashed after weeks of headlines about politicians’ ethics breaches and an uncertain coronavirus picture. Conservative candidate Louie French was elected for the district of Old Bexley and Sidcup with 51.5% of votes cast, down from the 64.5% share the Tories won during the 2019 election. The Labour Party came second and increased its vote share by from 23.5% to 31%. The campaign came as Boris Johnson’s Conservatives try to rebuff allegations that its politicians flout ethics rules.