WELLINGBOROUGH: The ruling Conservatives in Britain suffered two more parliamentary defeats to Labour in by-elections on Friday, underscoring the challenges Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces ahead of the upcoming general election.
These losses mark a turbulent week for the UK leader, who is grappling with efforts to regain support for his party amidst official confirmation of Britain’s recession after two consecutive quarters of economic contraction.
In power since 2010, the Conservatives are predicted by pollsters to struggle in the forthcoming nationwide vote, scheduled for the second half of this year, as highlighted by the significant swing towards Labour in Thursday’s contests.
Labour’s leader, Keir Starmer, hailed the by-election results as “fantastic,” emphasizing the public’s desire for change and their willingness to place trust in a reformed Labour Party.
While Sunak acknowledged the challenging circumstances surrounding the by-elections, he suggested that the turnout of less than 40 percent in both constituencies reflected a lack of enthusiasm for Labour.
The Conservative Party’s difficulties extend beyond the recent by-election losses, with a series of traditionally safe seats slipping from their grasp to both Labour and the centrist Liberal Democrats since their landslide victory in the 2019 general election.
Throughout Sunak’s tenure as prime minister, Labour, led by former chief prosecutor Starmer, has consistently held double-digit leads over the Tories in opinion polls.
Sunak assumed office following the ousting of Liz Truss, whose tax-cutting economic policies unsettled markets and eroded support for the Conservatives.
Amidst Britain’s severe cost-of-living crisis exacerbated by the pandemic, the Tories’ popularity has plummeted, compounded by internal conflicts and the turnover of three prime ministers since autumn 2022.
A record 21 by-elections have been triggered since 2019, largely due to misconduct by Tory MPs. Thursday’s losses in Wellingborough and Kingswood marked the ninth and tenth defeats for the Conservatives in this parliament, surpassing any government’s single-parliament loss count since the 1966-70 Labour administration.
In Wellingborough, the suspension of former Tory MP Peter Bone and the controversial selection of his partner, Helen Harrison, contributed to Labour’s victory, while in Kingswood, Labour capitalized on discontent over Sunak’s plans for North Sea drilling.
Sunak’s concerns extend beyond Labour’s gains, with fringe right-wing party Reform UK, formerly the Brexit Party, making significant inroads, indicating potential voter migration from the Conservatives to both Labour and right-wing factions.
The by-election wins provide a welcome reprieve for Labour following internal challenges, including the suspension of two prospective MPs over anti-Semitism allegations, as the party navigates preparations for the upcoming general election, including the by-election in Rochdale triggered by the passing of a veteran Labour MP.
