Labour overturn large Tory majority in two by-election victories

The Labour Party have won two by-elections, overturning a large Conservative majority in the process. Both Wellingborough and Kingswood turned red ahead of the general election due later this year.

In Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, Gen Kitchen and the party took Peter Bone’s former seat, which he had held with a majority of more than 18,000.

In Kingswood, South Gloucestershire, Damien Egan and Labour overturned a 11,220 Conservative majority to win Chris Skidmore’s former seat.

Conservative MP, Jacob Rees-Mogg, has blamed a low turnout for the party's losses and insists Rishi Sunak's leadership is "solid" and "by-elections don't change that".

He continued by saying that "the right-wing must reunite to stop [Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer]". Something that Tory party chairman Richard Holden said was "totally right".

Holden also blamed low voter turnout and said it's important to "look at the context" of the defeats, pointing out that former Wellingborough MP Peter Bone standing down due to claims of bullying and sexual inappropriateness.

The swing from Conservative to Labour in Wellingborough, which was 28.5%, is the second largest swing at a by-election since the Second World War.

Sir Kier Starmer says that the by-election shows that "the country is crying out for change". He continued that voters "concluded the Tories have failed after 14 years" in power and that Labour has "the answers to their problems", from the cost of living crisis to issues in the NHS.

He did admit that Labour have a "long way to go" before potentially forming the next government. He said that his party need to fight like they're "five points behind".

Rishi Sunak has also responded to the vote, and was asked specifically about the rise of Reform UK, formerly the Brexit Party, which came third in both elections.

He said: "A vote for anyone who isn’t the Conservative candidate, whether that’s Reform or anyone else, is just a vote to put Keir Starmer in power. That’s the actual choice during the general election, between me and him, between the Conservatives and Labour.”

Ballots will open in the Labour seat of Rochdale later this month.