LABOUR has snatched an “easy” victory in the first of two previously safe Tory strongholds, sources say.
The counting has begun in Kingswood and Wellingborough as the Conservatives brace for defeat in both.
AFPCounting has begun in Wellingborough[/caption]
Votes are currently being counted for two by-electionsSky
Results will decide who will replace former Tory MPs Chris Skidmore and Peter Bone.
Both seats had previously been safely in the Tories grips.
But they are at risk of being snatched away, Tory sources telling SkyNews they thought they had won Wellingborough “easily”.
Meanwhile in Kingswood, Labour are said to be “quietly confident”.
SkyNews political correspondent Serena Barker-Singh said: “There’s a quiet atmosphere here now, and I think Labour are quietly confident, but also pointing out the fact that this was a Tory seat that has been Conservative for a long time.”
The PM is already bracing for defeats in both – even if Labour is having to flip majorities in the tens of thousands.
Kingswood’s vote was triggered by Mr Skidmore’s resignation as an MP in protest at Government legislation to boost North Sea oil and gas drilling.
Meanwhile, the by-election in Wellingborough comes after Mr Bone received a six-week suspension from the Commons when an inquiry found he had subjected a staff member to bullying and sexual misconduct.
The selection of Mr Bone’s partner, Ms Harrison, as the Tory candidate standing in his former seat was also highly controversial, with the PM declining to say last month whether he would be campaigning for her.
Labour will be able to breathe a sigh of relief after days of negative headlines over the U-turn on the £28bn green pledge and a row about the handling of antisemitism allegations.
In a bruising week, parliamentary candidate Graham Jones was suspended on Tuesday, only a day after Labour was forced to suspend and withdraw its backing for Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali.
The Rochdale by-election will take place on February 29.
In more bad news for the PM, GDP figures published this morning showed that Britain entered a technical recession at the end of 2023.
Losing both seats would mean the Government has clocked up more by-election losses in any single Parliament than any administration since the 1960s.
More worryingly, it could also embolden Tory rebels who want him replaced after former cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke tried to have him ousted as leader last month.
But Mr Sunak is not the only one facing a bruising week and the size of the challenge for Labour is still significant.
Labour’s lead over the Tories has shrunk to its skimpiest margin since last summer as Sir Keir faces one of his biggest crisis as leader.
Tories’ collapsed by-election history
Labour made history in October last year by winning a by-election in the Mid Bedfordshire parliamentary seat which had been held by the Tories since 1931.
The Government has also now clocked up more by-election losses in any single Parliament than any administration since the 1960s.
With Mr Sunak having to go to the country by January 2025 at the latest, these latest defeats will undoubtedly worry the PM.
But first, he’s got a bigger fish to fry with Tory rebels likely to become even more rattled.
Last month, former cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke tried to have him ousted as leader, claiming that the party would be “massacred” at the next election if he remained prime minister.
Sir Simon said he had acted alone and a string of Tories immediately came to the defence of the PM.
But the by-election defeats might leave more MP malcontents within the party calling for change.
On Sunday, Mr Sunak told critics who doubt he can turn his party’s fortunes around that he is “totally up for the fight”.
In an interview with The Times, he also promised to reward hard work with tax cuts and struck an optimistic note over the UK’s economic prospects.
With the spring budget around the corner, disgruntled Tories will likely see it as a pivotal moment, hoping for bold fiscal maneuvers they believe could clinch a general election victory.
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