The Tories haplessly failed to win two parliamentary by-elections; some of their donors and a few backbench MPs began to mutiny, and Mr Brown readied his party for another, early, election.

不幸的是，托利党还是没有赢得两次议会的补选；一些捐款人和后座议员开始反抗，但是布朗的党派已经准备进行第二场提前选举。

youdao

This was followed by a parliamentary election on December 14th.

紧接着并在12月14日举行了一次议会选举。

youdao

Labour has retained the seat of Middlesbrough following a parliamentary by-election triggered by the death of the town's MP.

BBC: Middlesbrough by-election: Labour's Andy McDonald wins

Since then, UKIP's fortunes have improved and it recorded its best performance in a parliamentary by-election in Rotherham in December.

BBC: UKIP MEP Marta Andreasen defects to Conservatives

The critics point to a recent parliamentary by-election in a safe seat, which the UMP held by only the thinnest of threads.

ECONOMIST: Sarkozy and morality