Displaying items by tag: byelections

In the Kingswood and Wellingborough by-elections, the Labour Party achieved significant victories, causing a setback for Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives. Labour’s Gen Kitchen and Damien Egan won in Wellingborough and Kingswood respectively, overturning substantial Conservative majorities. These results mark the ninth and tenth by-election defeats for the government in the current parliament and represent one of the largest swings from Conservatives to Labour. The defeats add pressure on Sunak amidst a recession and strong by-election performances by Reform UK. Labour leader Keir Starmer celebrated these wins as signs of change and trust in Labour. The Conservatives have now suffered the most by-election defeats for a government since the 1960s, which indicates a shift in public sentiment against them.