Kingswood by-election: Labour overturns Tory majority to win key seat in crushing blow for Sunak
Damien Egan has won the by-election in Kingswood, overturning a majority of more than 11,000.
The result comes during a bruising night for the Tories who are braced to lose Wellingborough also.
The result will add to the pressure on Rishi Sunak, coming a day after it emerged the UK had entered a recession at the end of 2023.
It also means the Conservatives have suffered more by-election defeats in this Parliament than any previous government since the 1960s, surpassing the eight defeats experienced by John Major between 1992 and 1997.
Victory gives Labour a much-needed boost after a difficult week following a U-turn on its flagship pledge to spend £28 billion a year on green projects and an antisemitism row that forced the party to drop its candidate for the Rochdale by-election on February 29.
Counting continues in Wellingborough, the other by-election held on Thursday, where Labour MP Toby Perkins said the party was “excited and expectant” at the idea it could overhaul a Tory majority of 18,540.
The by-election in Wellingborough comes after former Tory MP Peter 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 Bone’s partner, Helen Harrison, as the Conservative candidate in his former seat has been a source of controversy, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last month declining to say whether he would be campaigning for her.
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Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “This is a fantastic result in Kingswood that shows people are ready to put their trust in a Labour government.
“By winning in this Tory stronghold, we can confidently say that Labour is back in the service of working people and we will work tirelessly to deliver for them.
“To those who have put their trust in us, you can be safe in the knowledge that the Labour Party will deliver on your priorities. Labour will give Britain its future back.”
Counting continues in Wellingborough, the other by-election held on Thursday, where Labour MP Toby Perkins said the party was “excited and expectant” at the idea it could overhaul a Tory majority of 18,540.