UK Politics

Conservative losses in Thursday’s (20 July) by elections were because Tory voters stayed at home, Greg Hands has said.The Tory party chairman spoke to TalkTV after his party lost two safe seats as Labour gained Selby and Ainsty and the Liberal Democrats won in Somerton and Frome.A 24 per cent swing towards Labour was “largely driven by Conservative voters staying at home,” Mr Hands said.“The result in Uxbridge reflects something wider.”The Tories managed to narrowly cling on to Boris Johnson’s old Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Senior Liberal Democrats believe the ‘revenge of the farmers’ help deliver their stunning by-election win in Somerset – and will help bring down part of the Conservative’s ‘blue wall’ at the general election. […] More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Watch as Sir Keir Starmer speaks in Selby and Ainsty on Friday, 21 July, after Labour won the seat in Thursday’s by election. Keir Mather will become the youngest MP in the Commons […] More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Britain’s governing Conservative Party suffered two thumping defeats Friday in a trio of special elections but avoided a drubbing after holding onto former premier Boris Johnson ‘s seat in suburban London. Though the […] More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Rishi Sunak has been dealt two painful by-election blows, despite clinging onto Boris Johnson’s former seat – as Labour recorded its largest swing since 1997. A Tory majority of more than 20,000 in […] More

New Labour MP Keir Mather will become the youngest MP in the Commons after overturning a 20,137 majority in the North Yorkshire constituency of Selby & Ainsty.In a speech after he was declared the winner of the by-election, Mr Mather said he “understood the enormity of what has just happened”.“We have rewritten the rules on where Labour can win. People have opened their doors to us and embraced our positive vision for the future,” he said.“The people of Selby & Ainsty have sent a clear message. For too long, Conservatives up here and in Westminster have failed us, and today that changes.” More

Veterans minsiter Johnny Mercer has made a jibe at Labour’s newest and youngest MP Keir Mather following his historic by-election win.Keir, 25, won the previous Conservative stronghold of Selby and Ainsty for Labour by overturning a majority of 20,000. He will now become the ‘Baby of the House’ – the youngest member of the House of Commons.Asked by Sky News deputy political editor Sam Coates whether he welcomed “an injection of youth into parliament”, Mr Mercer said: “I think it’s always good to get new people in politics, but I think we mustn’t become a repeat of The Inbetweeners”. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Former government whip Chris Pincher is appealing against a proposed eight-week suspension following allegations that he drunkenly groped two men at London’s exclusive Carlton Club last year. The Standards Committee earlier this month […] More