British Labour won contests for two new lawmakers on Friday, dealing a double blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives, strengthening the opposition party’s position ahead of national elections later this year, Reuters reported.
The Conservatives want Sunak to change course, otherwise the ruling party risks facing total defeat in the national elections. With the Labour Party leading in the polls, Sunak may have to heed the demands of some of his party members and offer an improved election programme to an increasingly disaffected electorate.
Labour leader Keir Starmer declared after his party’s two victories:
“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 [Conservatives] 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.”
Labour won a seat in Parliament with 13,844 votes to 7,408, overturning a large Conservative majority in the central English town of Wellingborough. In Kingswood, southwestern England, Labour won with 11,176 votes against 8,675 cast for the Conservative candidate.
The Conservatives have won only four of 21 by-elections since the last national election in 2019. While the ruling party often loses so-called by-elections, the scale of the defeat in two parliamentary seats held by the Conservatives for years adds to the pressure on Sunak, who became prime minister just over a year ago.
Low voter turnout punished the ruling party and Sunak, who is struggling to fulfil his election promises. Data on Thursday showed the economy slipped into recession in the second half of 2023, a problem for the prime minister who has made boosting economic growth his top commitment.
With many voters dissatisfied with a severe cost of living crisis, the health service and public transport strikes, Sunak has less and less time left to close the gap with Labour.
