The Conservatives suffered their largest electoral defeat since World War 2, losing seats in both Wellingborough and Kingswood by a landslide in the by-elections.
Conservative Setback
For 14 years, the Conservative Party has dominated British politics, but they’ve just experienced their first setback in what’s predicted to be a landslide election defeat against Labour later this year.
Prime Minister Sunak’s leadership is struggling to gain support in his party, with some even calling for the return of former PM Boris Johnson, while this news only amplifies his struggles.
Starmer Closer to the Prize
Two parliamentary seats were lost in by-elections to the opposing Labour Party as Sir Keir Starmer ramps up his bid to be Prime Minister by the end of the year.
“The Tories have failed. Rishi’s recession proves that. That’s why we’ve seen so many former Conservative voters switching directly to this changed Labour Party,” said Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
The recent by-election losses in both Wellingborough and Kingswood are the worst defeats of any Conservative administration since World War 2.
Wellingborough Recall Vote
Conservative MP Peter Bone triggered the by-election in Wellingborough after being disgraced with accusations of bullying and inappropriate behaviour, resulting in Labour’s Gen Kitchen taking the seat.
Labour’s Gen Kitchen secured a victory, overturning a significant Tory majority with a swing of 28.5%, the second-highest on record.
MP Chris Skidmore triggered the Kingswood by-election after resigning, paving the way for Labour’s Damien Egen to take over the seat with an 11,000 majority.
Sunak’s Divided Party
Skidmore resigned over disagreements with Prime Minister Sunak’s green policies, and he’s not the only Tory MP to show a lack of confidence in the PM’s decision-making.
The defeats cap a challenging week for Sunak after the announcement that the economy entered a recession this month, which also affected the public’s confidence in him.
Official data confirmed that the economy experienced a two-quarter contraction this week, adding to Sunak’s woes.
Keir Starmer’s Tough Week
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will certainly welcome the news of a Tory failure after a tumultuous week, with Labour facing yet another anti-semitism crisis within the party.
“By winning in these Tory strongholds, we can confidently say that Labour is back in the service of working people and we will work tirelessly to deliver for them,” said Sir Keir Starmer.
John Curtis of Strathclyde University believes, “These two results suggest the Conservatives still have a mountain to climb. Indeed, at the moment, they still seem to be struggling to get even so far as base camp.”
Rees-Mogg Predicted Worse
Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg admitted the results went better than he expected, “I certainly thought this result would be worse … If we can reunite the right in politics there’s a real opportunity for us,” he said.
Rees-Mogg recently admitted he lacked confidence in Sunak by joining in the call for a return of suspended former Prime Minister Boris Johnson by posting the words “Bring Boris Back” in an online post.
Reform UK’s Success
After a difficult start to life for Reform UK, the right-wing Party saw its largest victory so far, taking 10% of the votes in Kingswood and 13% in Wellingborough, more than it has ever achieved at a by-election.
After Kitchen’s win in Wellingborough, she said, “The people of Wellingborough have spoken for Britain. This is a stunning victory for the Labour party and must send a message from Northamptonshire to Downing Street.”
As the Rochdale election comes closer, Labour’s disgraced Rochdale MP has already been dismissed for allegations of anti-semitism, making a positive start for the Tories.
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