A Ukip parliamentary candidate has predicted “a seismic shift” in the local and national polls next year after last night’s by-election results.

Robin Grey, who is standing in Christchurch, said there was a real move away from the main political parties amid growing disenchantment.

“People think our current politicians are out of touch and simply don’t understand their concerns – or don’t care,” he said.

“Last night reflected a growing mood in national politics.”

UKip gained its first elected MP after Douglas Carswell won the Clacton by-election following his defection from the Conservatives, achieving a a majority of 12,404 votes.

Ukip also came close to winning the Heywood and Middleton by-election, cutting Labour’s majority from almost 6,000 votes to 617.

Mr Grey claimed Ukip could take “four or five” parliamentary seats in Dorset and capture a large number of council seats.

“The race is wide open,” he said.

“We have some very good candidates, the right demographics, the national mood on our side and policies that resonate with the voters.”

Bournemouth West’s Conservative MP Conor Burns said: “I’ve already sent my congratulations to my friend Douglas Carswell. Douglas and I started out together in student politics in the early 1990s. Douglas and I, on so many issues, share the same views.

“His views have not changed, neither have mine, and it’s more than unfortunate that the right of British politics is – temporarily, I hope – fractured.

“I’ve never been one of those who believes in attacking either those in Ukip or those who support Ukip. Many of my very friends have been tempted across to Ukip and at some point we’re going to have to reunite the Conservative family if we want to perform again strongly.

“The centre left of politics was fractured in the 1980s and I worry that we could be on the wrong end of a similar fracture.”

He said he was “Conservative to my fingertips” but shared people’s concerns about uncontrolled immigration and EU legislation over which Britain had no control.

David Stokes, Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Bournemouth West, said Ukip did not “have the answers” to public concerns.

“We’ve got to highlight those aspects of Ukip policy that are actually against ordinary working people. They do not support the minimum wage, they do not support trade union rights, and for all their posturing, the fact that it’s Conservative MPs defecting to them highlights the fact that they’re just another Conservative party.”

Polling for the general election and district council elections takes place on May 7 next year.