New Peterborough MP Lisa Forbes says voters cared more about crime than Brexit after by-election win

The Labour candidate narrowly defeated the Brexit Party's Mike Greene by 683 votes after a fiercely contested by-election which grabbed the national spotlight.

Ms Forbes spoke for two minutes with journalists, including the Peterborough Telegraph, after the result before being ushered away by her team, who said she was too tired to take more questions.

Asked whether people voted for her because of a fear of Nigel Farage, the Brexit Party leader, she said: "I think the people in Peterborough wanted me to campaign on the issues that matter locally, and that's what I did.

"We campaigned on school funding cuts of £22 million, a lack of police on our streets - people don't feel safe - and also the fly-tipping and littering that is blighting our community."

RELATED: Labour Party candidate Lisa Forbes wins Peterborough by-election​Ms Forbes said Brexit was not mentioned as much on the doorsteps as the media had indicated it would be.

She said: "It did come up but not as much as people think it might have done. People care about being able to get a GP appointment, the fly-tipping and litter which is all over the community, the lack of police on the streets, drug-dealing happening without fear of being caught.

"These are the issues that people in Peterborough spoke to me about and this is why I was campaigning on those issues, and that's why the people of Peterborough elected me, and I'll be going to Parliament to fight on those issues."

Asked if she will campaign for a second Brexit referendum, she replied: "Everyone knows I campaigned and voted for Remain, but I'm also a democrat.

"When people voted to Leave I believe it's our duty to try and respect that result which is what the Labour Party have done. They triggered Article 50.

"But we've had a government that didn't have the numbers, didn't reach out straight away to the opposition. We're now three years away and no further forward. Three years on and Theresa May tries to negotiate a deal with Jeremy Corbyn but is held back by her own party.

"If this had happened immediately I believe that we could have had a deal that protects people's jobs, protects people's living standards, the environment and consumer protections."