Rosena Allin-Khan
Rosena Allin-Khan, pictured outside Tooting Broadway Station, won the Tooting by-election on 16 June, 2016. Her win came just hours after the death of Labour MP Jo Cox. Getty

Labour's Rosena Allin-Khan was declared the winner in the Tooting by-election, south London, on an emotional day for the party on Thursday (16 June). The result came only hours after the brutal killing of Jo Cox, MP for Batley and Spen.

Allin-Khan was elected on a vote of 17,894, which was 6,357 ahead of her Conservative rival Dan Watkins, nearly three times the majority held by Saddiq Khan, who stepped down after he was elected mayor of London. Turnout was 42.5%.

More from IBTimes UK

Poignantly, until Cox's death, Allin-Khan was on course to become Labour's 100th woman MP.

Speaking after she won, Allin-Khan said that Cox's death showed the importance of fighting for democracy. "My thoughts and prayers are with Jo's husband and her children. She was a proud and passionate campaigner who will be desperately missed," she said.

Allin-Khan, who works as an A&E doctor at St George's Hospital, told the IBTimes UK last week that her background meant she could follow in Khan's footsteps and become a "champion" for the seat.

At one point the count was halted for a two minute silence for Cox and the union flag was lowered to half mast at the town hall. Returning Officer and Mayor of Wandsworth, Richard Field, said he wanted to "express the sadness everyone involved in this by-election has felt", the BBC reported.

Clive Efford, the Labour MP said the party had briefly halted their campaign after learning of the death of Cox.

He told the Guardian: "When the news came out and the announcement was made around five o'clock everyone downed tools in the campaign but we realised that the process has got to continue and people gradually gathered themselves and got back out on the campaign."