Keir Starmer proudly declares that he is achieving a significant milestone following his victory in the by-elections.
The Conservatives are becoming increasingly worried about a potential electoral disaster similar to what happened in 1997. Keir Starmer, on the other hand, is confident that he can follow in the footsteps of Tony Blair after his recent success in two by-elections.
With Rishi Sunak facing mounting demands for tax cuts to woo back voters, a jubilant Labour leader said he wanted to ‘follow in the footsteps’ of the ex-PM as he posed alongside his new MPs in Mid Beds and Tamworth.
Conservatives are experiencing a new wave of self-reflection due to the loss of their traditionally loyal supporters. This concern extends to even those in secure positions.
Although by-elections are not directly reflected at general elections, a swing of the scale seen overnight could theoretically reduce the Tories to 20 seats.
The Prime Minister has not yet addressed the significant impact of recent events, as he is currently in the Middle East on a diplomatic mission aimed at preventing further escalation of the Israel crisis.
For the first time in the history of the constituency, Labour won Mid Beds, which had been left vacant this summer by former Cabinet minister Nadine Dorries.
It was the largest majority in terms of votes overturned by Labour at a by-election since 1945, with an eye-watering swing of more than 20 per cent.
Sir Keir’s candidate also routed the Tories in Brexit-backing Tamworth, smashing the 19,600-vote cushion from the 2019 general election.
Sir Keir, while delivering a campaign speech and participating in media interviews, emphasized that he is maintaining a modest attitude, despite experts predicting that the results indicate a significant victory for him.
When asked by Sky News if he was the ‘successor to Blair’, Sir Keir responded by acknowledging Tony Blair’s three election victories, which led to a significant triumph for the Labour Party and enabled the government to achieve remarkable accomplishments for our nation.
In 2024, we encounter distinct circumstances and embark on a new challenge.
“But my intention is to emulate the path of a prominent figure within our political party who successfully led us from a position of opposition to one of authority.”
“These results hold significant importance in advancing towards our ultimate goal.”
Keir Starmer posed alongside new MP Alistair Strathern at a rally in Mid Beds as he claimed voters had shown they want a ‘change’ in No10
Sir Keir received enthusiastic applause from his ecstatic supporters as he took his victory lap following the announcement of the results.
The Labour leader insisted he was staying ‘humble’ but wanted to emulate Tony Blair
Rishi Sunak is on a tour of the Middle East trying to cool the Israel crisis as the by-election fallout erupts (pictured meeting Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani in Saudi Arabia this morning)
The Tories reacted to the significant losses in the by-elections by encouraging Mr. Sunak to implement measures that would persuade previous voters to come back.
Sir Keir praised his new MP Alistair Strathern, expressing admiration for his impressive candidacy and historic victory within the last 24 hours.
Expressing gratitude to Labour campaigners, he acknowledged the value of each vote they convinced to support his cause.
This is an astonishing evening in politics, an astonishing morning, an astonishing outcome here for numerous reasons.
“I cannot reword”
Labour had never emerged victorious in Mid Beds throughout its 105-year history, and in the 2019 general election, they trailed the Tories by a margin of 24,664 votes.
Peter Kyle, a member of the Labour shadow cabinet, who orchestrated his party’s triumph in Mid Bedfordshire, celebrated a significant shift in the political landscape.
“He stated that this is the most significant surprise in by-election history, resembling a political upheaval. It conveys an undeniable message to both Westminster and Rishi Sunak that our country deserves superior representation.”
Mr Strathern won the election in the constituency with a lead of 1,192 votes over his opponent Festus Akinbusoye from the Tory party. Akinbusoye left the vote count abruptly and did not stay to hear Strathern’s speech after his victory.
The Labour party achieved a victory in Tamworth, a constituency that supported Brexit. They managed to overturn the 19,600-vote majority that the Tories had obtained in the 2019 general election.
Labour achieved the second-largest swing from the Tories in the Staffordshire constituency during a by-election since 1945, with a significant increase of 23.9 percentage points.
Labour’s victory in the Selby and Ainsty by-election in July, where they achieved a 23.7 percentage point increase, was surpassed by an even larger margin.
Polling guru Sir John Curtice pointed out that the change was in line with Labour’s 1996 by-election victory in the forerunner seat.
The Tamworth competition was initiated due to the departure of Chris Pincher, the former Tory deputy chief whip, following his inappropriate behavior of drunkenly touching two men at an upscale London club.
Sarah Edwards, the Labour candidate, emerged victorious over her Conservative opponent, Andrew Cooper, with a lead of 1,316 votes. Additionally, he promptly left the vote count without hearing her speech.
Greg Hands, the chair of the Tory party, expressed his disappointment but attributed the outcome to unique circumstances in the constituencies, suggesting that their voters chose not to participate.
“He expressed the need to specifically consider the issue of Conservative voters not participating in the voting process,” he informed Sky News.
A seasoned member of the Conservative party informed MailOnline that by-elections typically involve protest votes, but in this case, it seems to be a protest through abstention.
Mr Sunak is in a state of shock after his efforts to boost the Conservative party’s success with a recent surge of policies.
The Prime Minister has issued statements regarding Net Zero, the HS2 railway project, a revision in A-levels, and the implementation of a smoking ban similar to New Zealand’s.
He has made changes to his team at Downing Street, but there hasn’t been a significant improvement in the Conservatives’ opinion polling yet.
Sarah Edwards, a member of the Labour party, will take over from Chris Pincher as the representative for Tamworth in the Parliament.
Although by-elections are not directly reflected at general elections, a swing of the scale seen overnight could theoretically reduce the Tories to a rump of seats
Although he is now enjoying a solid lead, as recently as the end of 2021 Sir Keir was in charge of an Opposition that was trailing the Conservatives
In contrast, the Labour party had been leading in the polls for over four years prior to Tony Blair’s overwhelming victory in 1997.
Tory Member of Parliament Andrea Jenkyns expressed on social media that there was a clear display of voter apathy in the recent #ByElections, with a low turnout. Approximately 20,000 individuals did not vote in Tamworth, and 24,000 individuals did not vote in Mid Beds since the previous election.
“We must implement significant and extensive changes immediately in order to inspire confidence among Conservative voters.”
Professor Sir John Curtice expressed his concern over the two by-election outcomes, stating that they were highly unfavorable for the Conservatives. He further implied that Mr. Sunak’s chances of winning a general election were diminishing.
“I cannot reword”
He cautioned that the Conservative party could face a situation where some of their previous supporters who voted for Brexit might switch to the Labour party, while others might join the Reform UK party.
In both Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth, Reform received a total of 1,487 and 1,373 votes respectively. These numbers surpassed the majority that Labour had over the Conservatives.
