Labor easily wins two seats in central England ahead of next year’s general election, dealing a setback to the governing party.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s ruling Conservative Party has lost two safe parliamentary seats in a crucial vote ahead of the next general election.
The centre-left Labor Party comfortably won the two seats in central England in Thursday’s by-election, in an ominous sign for the Conservatives’ prospects in national elections expected next year.
Labour’s Alistair Strathern and Sarah Edwards claimed victory in the seats of Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth, overcoming Conservative majorities of almost 25,000 and 20,000 respectively.
The ruling Tories have held Mid Bedfordshire since 1931 and Tamworth since 1996.
George Osborne, a former Conservative chancellor, previously warned that the loss of Mid-Bedfordshire would mean “Armageddon” for the centre-right.
Labor leader Keir Starmer hailed the victories as evidence of the public’s desire for new leadership.
“These are phenomenal results. Victory in these Tory strongholds shows that the vast majority of people want change and are prepared to rely on our transformed Labor Party to deliver it,” Starmer said.
Labor has enjoyed a double-digit lead over the Conservatives for more than a year as voters rage over high inflation, a weak economy and long waits to use the state health service.
Faced with dwindling support in the polls, Sunak has announced a series of key policy changes, including scrapping part of a costly high-speed rail link and scaling back measures designed to help the UK reach net zero emissions by 2050.
The policy announcements have done little to improve the Tories’ standing in the polls, although Sunak’s personal approval rating has risen slightly.
During their more than 13 years in office, the Conservatives have led the United Kingdom through some of the most significant events in decades, including Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sunak, the fifth Tory leader since 2010, was not in the UK for the by-election results after traveling to Israel to express his support for the country in its war with the Palestinian armed group Hamas.