Byelection results - live: Boost for Starmer after Rochdale ‘shambles’ as Labour clinches two major victories
Labour overturns two large majorities to take seats in Northamptonshire and Gloucestershire on a bad night for the Conservative party
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Two byelection victories have boosted Keir Starmer after a difficult week for Labour in which the party was accused of a “shambolic” handling of an antisemitism row.
Labour overturned huge Tory majorities to win in Kingswood and Wellingborough, meaning the Conservatives have now suffered the most byelection defeats of any government since the 1960s.
Speaking to broadcasters on Friday morning, Mr Starmer acknowledged it had been a “bumpy” week, but insisted the victories suggest the public can see that his party has changed since Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, which was often overshadowed by controversies surrounding its handling of antisemitism allegations.
“I think there is a message now from these by-elections… I think the country is crying out for change. Everybody knows that,” he added.
Earlier, Rishi Sunak insisted that his government’s “plan is working” as he urged voters to stick with the Conservatives in the wake of thedouble defeat.
The prime minister said the circumstances surrounding the by-elections in Kingswood and Wellingborough were “particularly challenging” and suggested that the low turnout meant that there “isn’t a huge amount of enthusiasm for the alternative in Keir Starmer,” who he claimed had “no plan” for government.
Full Wellingborough by-election result
Gen Kitchen (Labour) 13,844 (45.92 per cent, +19.46 per cent)
Helen Harrison (Conservative) 7,408 (24.57 per cent, -37.60 per cent)
Ben Habib (Reform UK) 3,919 (13.00 per cent)
Ana Savage Gunn (Liberal Democrat) 1,422 (4.72 per cent, -3.14 per cent)
Marion Turner-Hawes (ND) 1,115 (3.70 per cent)
Will Morris (Green) 1,020 (3.38 per cent, -0.12 per cent)
Kev Watts (Ind) 533 (1.77 per cent)
Alex Merola (Britain First) 477 (1.58 per cent)
Nick The Flying Brick (Monster Raving Loony Party) 217 (0.72 per cent)
Andre Pyne-Bailey (Independent) 172 (0.57 per cent)
Ankit Love Jay Mala (ND) 18 (0.06 per cent)
Lab maj 6,436 (21.35 per cent)
28.53 per cent swing C to Lab
Electorate 79,372; Turnout 30,145 (37.98 per cent, -26.30 per cent)
Tells you nothing about the general election - Rees-Mogg
Labour’s overturning of the Conservative majority in Kingswood could be read as a sign of how things will go at the general election this year by many, but not for North East Somerset MP Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Speaking after the result, he said: “Does it tell you anything about the general election? Almost certainly not.
“By-elections are an opportunity for people not to turn out, to protest, and at ensuing general elections they don’t give a consistent guide to what happens.”
He added: “From the point of view of Kingswood, I think the Conservatives can be more pleased than they might have expected. I certainly thought this result would be worse.
“Bear in mind a lot of the postal votes would have been back before Labour’s problem with antisemitism was in the public.”
Keir Starmer: ‘Rishi’s recession proves the Tories have failed’
After the results of the Wellingborough contest were confirmed Sir Keir said the “fantastic” wins show “people want change and are ready to put their faith in a changed Labour Party to deliver it”.
He said: "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.
"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.
"Those who gave us their trust in Kingswood and Wellingborough, and those considering doing so, can be safe in the knowledge that we will spend every day working to get Britain’s future back.”
‘This shows that people are fed up’ - Gen Kitchen
Gen Kitchen, the new MP for Wellingborough, said she was “ecstatic” at the result, adding that the double by-election win for Labour shows that people are “fed up” and want change.
She said: “I hope Damien (Egan, new Labour MP for Kingswood) is as ecstatic as I am, and I’m sure the Labour leadership will be as well.
“This shows that people are fed up, they want change, they want competency, they want pragmatism and they want politicians to under-promise and over-deliver, which is what I am hoping to do.
“It shows how much hard work we put in and the real positive message we were putting out. There is a real appetite for a fresh start and change.”
Pictures from the Wellingborough count
Sir Keir Starmer: ‘These are fantastic results'
Sir Keir will not be doing a media round on Friday morning as he attends the funeral of the late Rochdale MP Sir Tony Lloyd.
But speaking about tonight’s results, he said: “These are fantastic results in Kingswood and Wellingborough that show people want change and are ready to put their faith in a changed Labour Party to deliver it.
“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.
“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.”
Good morning, here’s the latest
The Tories suffered a devastating double by-election defeat overnight with Labour taking huge majorities in both the Gloucestershire seat of Kingswood and the Northamptonshire seat of Wellingborough.
In Wellingborough, Labour’s Gen Kitchen won 45.92 per cent of the vote while her Conservative opponent Helen Harrison won just 24.57 per cent.
It marks the second-largest swing to Labour since the Second World War.
Similar results were seen in Kingswood were the Labour candidate Damien Egan won 44.94 per cent of the vote compared to the 34.88 per cent the Conservative’s Sam Bromiley received.
Upon his election, Mr Egan said: “Our country is at a crossroads. Under the Conservatives we can choose more managed decline, more chaos, more division or we can choose a changed Labour Party.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also weighed in on the results and said: “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.”
What do the losses mean for the Conservatives?
Defeats in Thursday’s by-elections in Kingswood and Wellingborough mean the Conservatives have lost more by-elections in a single parliament than any government since the 1960s.
The Tories have clocked up 10 such defeats since the 2019 general election – two more than the eight suffered by the 1992-97 Conservative government led by John Major.
It is more than any previous government since the 1966-70 Labour administration of Harold Wilson, which endured 15 losses.
Even accounting for the Conservatives’ one by-election gain this parliament – winning Hartlepool from Labour in 2021 – the double defeat on Thursday brings the party’s overall by-election scorecard to nine net losses, which is still worse than any government since 1966-70.
Key numbers and statistics in full
As the Conservatives face a double blow in the Kingswood and Wellingborough by-elections, they become the party to have lost more by-elections in a single parliament than any government since the 1960s.
The Tories have clocked up 10 such defeats since the 2019 general election – more than any previous government since the 1966-70 Labour administration of Harold Wilson, which endured 15 losses.
Here are the key statistics and historical benchmarks from the results of Thursday’s by-elections:
Kingswood and Wellingborough election results: Key numbers and statistics
Swing from Conservative to Labour at Wellingborough was the second largest of its kind since WWII
Who is Damien Egan? Labour’s new MP for Kingswood
Damien Egan has won the Kingswood by-election, overturning a 11,200 majority held by the Conservatives to give Labour a further boost ahead of the general election.
Mr Egan’s win, beating Tory candidate Sam Bromiley by 2,501 votes, was not a great surprise locally for a seat last held by Labour in 2005.
The Cork-born MP has been supported by notable visits from the likes of Sir Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves and Dawn Butler.
But it is his local roots which have been a key part of his campaign. So here The Independent looks at who is Mr Egan?
Who is Damien Egan? Labour’s new MP for Kingswood
Damien Egan has won the Kingswood by-election, beating Tory candidate Sam Bromiley
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