British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s ruling Conservative Party was defeated in two by-elections on Friday, with Alistair Strathern and Sarah Edwards winning in Mid-Bedfordshire and Tamworth respectively, The Week reported.
By-election results indicate that voter support in Tamworth, central England, and Mid Bedfordshire, north of London, has shifted from the Conservatives to Labour.
Keir Starmer, leader of the opposing Labour Party, claimed his party would be able to compete and win seats in parts of the country where the opposition had never won before.
History is in the making.
The Labour Party won a majority of 24,664 Tories in Mid Bedfordshire for the first time, simultaneously achieving a 23.9 per cent shift to the Labour Party from the Tories in Tamworth.
The by-elections are important as they reflect the mood of the electorate and the outcome will be a long-awaited boost for the Labour Party ahead of the expected general election in 2024.
Tamworth lawmaker Chris Pincher resigned after allegations of inappropriate behaviour at a London private club. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s unwillingness to sanction Pincher when the allegations surfaced helped to trigger Johnson’s ouster by his own party last year.
Mid-Bedfordshire MP Nadine Dorries has resigned in the wake of the situation around Johnson, as well as her inability to be appointed to the House of Lords. Dorries is a strong ally of Johnson, who has accused Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of helping to topple the former leader.
Rishi Sunak replaced Liz Truss, who left in October 2022 after her unfunded tax cut plan wreaked havoc on financial markets and shook the economy.
