UK Politics

Labour and the Liberal Democrats were urged to forge an electoral pact to remove the Conservatives at the next general election after “industrial-scale” tactical voting saw Boris Johnson’s party lose two by-elections.Labour’s win in Wakefield by around 5,000 votes, a 12 per cent swing from the Tories, saw the Lib Dem candidate Jamie Needle lose his deposit with only 1.85 per cent of the vote.Similarly, the Lib Dems’ extraordinary triumph in Tiverton and Honiton, which saw a swing of 30,000, saw the Labour candidate lose her deposit with just over 3 per cent of the vote.Matt Singh, pollster at Number Cruncher consultancy, said the results from Wakefield and Tiverton amounted to “industrial-scale tactical voting and it’s a big deal”.Naomi Smith, chief executive of the Best for Britain group campaigning for an electoral pact, said the majorities “could not have been overturned without tactical voting and an unofficial electoral pact”.Urging Starmer and Davey to collaborate, she added: “Labour and the Lib Dems mustn’t rest on their laurels, repeating this success will be much more difficult in a general election. Our polling proves they will need to collaborate to defeat the government.”Both parties have dismissed the idea of any deal done during the campaigns. But Labour did not put significant resources into Devon, while the Lib Dems did not campaign so heavily in west Yorkshire.Alastair Campbell, the New Labour-era spin doctor who worked at No 10 for Tony Blair, said he backed the idea of electoral collaboration following the stunning by-election results.“I actually think it would be a good thing if Labour and Lib Dems co-operated even more closely,” he told Sky News on Friday.Best for Britain analysis of a recent Focaldata survey shows that Labour could win up to 351 seats by working with both the Lib Dems and Greens at the next election.The group warned that without electoral pacts, much of the so-called “red wall” seats won by Mr Johnson in 2019 in the north and Midlands would stay blue and Labour would struggle to win the election outright.Research by King’s College London professor Andrew Blick suggests Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens could secure a majority of more than 300 seats in parliament if they agree to a full electoral alliance in Wales and England.Polling guru Sir John Curtice said the Conservatives were now doing as badly in by-elections as the John Major government in the early 1990s – and said the party should be worried by widespread tactical voting.But Prof Curtice warned Labour that the result in the red wall seat of Wakefield did not suggest “any great enthusiasm for the Labour party” – pointing to the fact that the slump in the Tory vote was twice as large as the rise in the Labour vote.Speaking to BBC Today programme, Sir John said: “There still seems to be a question about the extent to which voters, many of whom clearly aren’t happy with the Conservatives, are necessarily as yet bought into Labour as an alternative.”Peter Kellner, former president of YouGov said the best thing Mr Johnson could do to revive Tory party fortunes was to “resign” – saying voters “mostly dislike him”.The respected pollster told Sky News: “The animus towards Boris Johnson will trump all those Conservative arguments. A different leader, a new leader who doesn’t have that baggage, has some chance … of getting through.”Mr Kellner raised of a Labour minority government supported by the Lib Dems and others. “There will be arrangements of some sort. We could be in for an interesting period of non-Conservative government.” More

Deputy prime minister Dominic Raab has claimed the “distraction” of the partygate scandal was partly to blame for two devastating by-elections defeats for the Conservatives.The Tory party chairman Oliver Dowden resigned within hours of the results, with a swipe at what he described as “recent events” and saying that “someone must take responsibility”.But Mr Raab tried to brush aside the affair which has plunged his party into chaos, describing it as one of a series of “distractions” which lost the party votes.On a visit to Rwanda, Boris Johnson also pledged he would “keep going” despite the blow to his authority just weeks after nearly 150 of his own MPs voted to oust him from Downing Street.But former cabinet minister Robert Buckland warned it would be a mistake for the government to continue with “business as usual” in the wake of the defeats, calling for a return to what he described as “mainstream, moderate opinion”.In remarks likely to infuriate Tory MPs demanding the prime minister resign, Mr Raab also accused his party of “ill-discipline” over that confidence vote.Mr Raab was drafted in to appear on broadcasters only at the eleventh hour after Mr Dowden’s dramatic resignation.The former culture secretary had been publicly loyal to Mr Johnson amid the turmoil of recent weeks.Mr Raab told the Today programme on BBC Radio : “My view is that the by-elections, both of them, were the result of the perfect storm of very difficult local scenarios, given the situations of the previously sitting Conservative MPs, plus the national headwinds (including)… a mid-term government, but also, frankly, the distractions that we’ve had.“I think the prime minister put it well: we need to listen very carefully, we need to take that feedback.“I think (with) Tiverton, the most striking thing is how many of our supporters didn’t come out. We need to spend the next two years absolutely relentlessly focused on delivering our plan, without those distractions and with a real calm focus on delivering.”Business minister Paul Scully insisted the government would reflect on the defeats, saying that Mr Dowden had taken a “personal view”.Defending the prime minister, he said Mr Johnson’s “brazen approach” would stimulate with the “big ideas” that would help the economy. The country did not need the “psychodrama” of leadership campaigns while inflation was spiralling, he added.But veteran backbench Tory MP Sir Roger Gale, who has repeatedly called for Mr Johnson to go, urged other cabinet ministers to follow Mr Dowden out of government.“It is up to my colleagues in the cabinet to decide whether they can go on supporting a prime minister who, frankly, has trashed the reputation of the Conservative party, my party, for honesty, for decency, for integrity and for compassion,” he said. Home secretary Priti Patel also predicted Mr Dowden would be the only minister to quit today. Asked on LBC if she thought there would be more resignations, she said: “I don’t.”Labour had been long predicted to win back Wakefield and took the seat by almost 5,000 votes, overturning a Conservative lead of 3,358 votes.But the more extraordinary result was in Devon, where the Lib Dems overcame a Tory majority of 24,239 votes to win by more than 6,000 – the largest majority every overturned at a by-election. More

Conservative chairman Oliver Dowden has submitted his letter of resignation after the party’s crushing double by-election loss in Tiverton and Honiton and Wakefield.In an apparent reference to Partygate in a letter to Boris Johnson, Mr Dowden said he shared the feelings of Tory supporters who were “distressed and disappointment by recent events”The senior MP said “somebody must take responsibility” for losses adding “we cannot continue as business as usual.” Conservative MP Sir Roger welcomed his resignation saying Oliver Dowden could “no longer defend the indefensible,” while North Dorset MP Simon Hoare described the shock announcement as “an honourable letter from an honourable man.” More

Union boss Mick Lynch has said the government lauded rail workers as “heroes” during the Covid-19 pandemic, only to treat them as “out of fashion” now restrictions have lifted. Speaking on BBC One’s Question Time, the head of the RMT union said: “We were lauded as heroes by Grant Shapps, they worked all the way through the pandemic, they were not furloughed, and they kept our railway and transport systems going.“But what they’re being told now as a result of that, is that you’re out of fashion, you’re out of date, somehow the terms and conditions that we’ve negotiated over many years and we think are a fair deal…”He added: “We think that’s what every worker in Britain, in every business should have. But what we’re faced with now is a clampdown. And it’s a deliberate clampdown by the government… and they’re using the temporary phenomenon of Covid as an excuse to rip out and strip out terms and conditions.”The show, hosted by Fiona Bruce, comes after the union’s second day of industrial action this week over pay and working hours.RMT is expected to strike again on Saturday 25 June, with warnings of further walkouts later in the summer.Mr Lynch said: “In some cases, the railway is saying to our members, you must have less wages going forward, not just against inflation but against existing salaries, and you must take a prescription which gives you extended working hours without compensation, five additional hours a week.”He went on to denounce the government, as presenter Ms Bruce tried to interrupt, saying: “I regret that we haven’t got a government that will allow companies to negotiate with us and I regret that we have not been able to make an agreement.” More

Boris Johnson’s Conservatives suffered a humiliating and historic double defeat on Friday morning as voters turned against them in both the Tiverton and Honiton and Wakefield by-elections. The Liberal Democrats swept to victory in the Devon seat as Richard Foord overcame a Tory majority of just over 24,000 votes – the largest ever overturned at a by-election.Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said it was the “biggest by-election victory our country has ever seen”, adding that the result should be a “wake-up call” to Tory MPs about Mr Johnson’s leadership.Labour’s Simon Robert Lightwood took Wakefield after winning the west Yorkshire seat by almost 5,000 votes, overturning a smaller Conservative lead of just over 3,000 votes.Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the result shows that the country has “lost confidence in the Tories” and showed his party was “ready for government”.Tory chair Oliver Dowden resigned after the party’s crushing double loss – saying he shared the feelings of Tory supporters who were “distressed and disappointed by recent events” in a letter to the PM.The double defeat will raise further questions for PM, currently in Rwanda for the Commonwealth summit, who insisted on Thursday that it would be “crazy” to step down even if he lost both by-elections.Mr Foord won in Tivertonby over 6,000 votes as he became the first non-Tory MP in the seat since it was created back in 1997. The 30,000 swing represents the largest majority, in raw votes not percentage swing, ever overturned at a by-election.Mr Foord used his victory speech to call on Mr Johnson to “go and go now”, saying the result showed that voters think “enough is enough”.The former Army major added: “Ours is a great country and there’s no greater part of it than Devon. But everyday Boris Johnson clings to office, he brings further shame, chaos and neglect.”The result in Wakefield was also a significant win for Starmer and Labour, who have not gained a seat in a by-election since Corby in 2012.In his victory speech in Wakefield, Mr Lightwood said the result showed Labour was “rebuilding the red wall”, adding: “The next Labour government has been born in this room tonight.” More

Boris Johnson fails to deny he offered Carrie Symonds top jobFormer Conservative Party leader Michael Howard has called on Boris Johnson to resign following the disastrous double defeat at by-elections in Wakefield and Tiverton.The Tory peer – who has remained quiet on the question of the leadership – also suggested that cabinet ministers should consider moving against the PM if he clings on at No 10.Earlier, Oliver Dowden quit his role as Tory Party chair because he “can’t go on defending the indefensible”, a senior Tory has suggested.Mr Dowden, a cabinet minister, resigned shortly after the Conservatives lost byelections in Wakefield and Tiverton & Honiton, where Partygate was again raised by voters on the doorstep.The PM has insisted that he will “keep going” at No 10 despite the crushing double by-election losses.Simon Lightwood won for Labour in Wakefield in West Yorkshire after gaining 13,166 votes to the Conservatives 8,231. Meanwhile, The Liberal Democrats’ Richard Foord won convincingly in Devon gaining 22,537 votes overturning a 24,000 Tory majority.Show latest update

1656081392Attorney general backs PM after by-election defeats The attorney general has spoken in support of Boris Johnson, following the Conservatives’ crushing by-election defeats yesterday. Suella Braverman said the prime minister was to thank for the party’s significant majority in 2019, saying this success has “not been undermined in any way” by recent defeats. Speaking to the BBC, she said: “Whilst we have these two disappointing results today, I don’t think those should be extrapolated across to read as a reflection on Boris Johnson’s leadership.“I think right now we’ve got to learn the lessons from these elections, for sure, but also focus on the national priorities,” she added.Rory Sullivan24 June 2022 15:361656080121The 6 weirdest Liberal Democrat election victory stuntsThe Liberal Democrats have sometimes struggled to get media attention, usually losing out in column inches to Labour and the Tories.As a result the party has developed a flair for imaginative and eye-catching media stunts. Today Ed Davey and his party’s new MP for Tiverton and Honiton, Richard Foord, stood in front of a blue door which had “show Boris Johnson the door” written across it.Our policy correspondent, Jon Stone, takes a look back at some of the other props the party has used at elections in the past: Matt Mathers24 June 2022 15:151656079242Readers poll: If Boris Johnson is removed from office, who should replace him?Boris Johnson is facing fresh questions about his premiership after leading the Tories to two byelection defeats last night in Wakefield and Tiverton & Honiton.If he is eventually ousted from 10 Downing Street, who would you like to see replace him?Have your say in our readers poll, which can be found via the link below: Matt Mathers24 June 2022 15:001656078588Johnson ultra-loyalist Nadine Dorries backs PM – but other cabinet ministers remain silentBoris Johnson ultra-loyalist Nadine Dorries has rowed in behind the prime minister following last night’s byelection defeats, saying he is delivering for the country.Rishi Sunak, the chancellor; Dominic Raab, the deputy PM and justice secretary and Priti Patel, the home secretary, have also voiced their support for the Big Dog – after Oliver Dowden resigned.But a significant number of other cabinet ministers – including Liz Truss, the foreign secretary – have remained silent. Ms Trusss is currently in Rwanda for the Commonwealth leaders’ summit.“Great to be in Kigali for @CHOGM2022 for discussions on how we build a stronger, more resilient Commonwealth,” Ms Truss tweeted earlier. “As a group of democratic nations, the Commonwealth has a vital role to play in defending freedom and self-determination, and acting as a counterweight to malign actors.”Other senior cabinet minister who have not commented on the defeats in Wakefield and Tiverton include Sajid Javid (health), Ben Wallace (defence), Nadhim Zahawi (education) and Kwasi Kwarteng (business).Matt Mathers24 June 2022 14:491656077527Video: Former Tory leader Michael Howard says PM should resign after by-election defeatFormer Tory leader Michael Howard says Johnson should resign after by-election defeatRory Sullivan24 June 2022 14:321656076807Johnson a ‘very unpopular’ PM living in ‘parallel universe’, says former Tory MPNeil Parish, the Tory MP who resigned after watching porn in the Commons, has said the prime minister is “very unpopular” and is living in a “parallel universe”. Mr Parish’s former constituency of Tiverton & Honiton was won by the Liberal Democrats in yesterday’s by-election. “Full credit to the Lib Dems for winning, but it’s a combination of our vote dropping dramatically, people switching, people staying at home and a very unpopular prime minister, which people have tactically voted against,” Mr Parish told Sky News after the result. “I feel responsible in as much as I had to leave. I made a very foolish and bad mistake but I did the honourable thing and left.”“He (the PM) has many good qualities. The trouble is he can’t just keep living in a parallel universe, there has to be reality,” the former MP added. Rory Sullivan24 June 2022 14:201656075547PM’s position now ‘more challenging’, says Welsh Tory leader The leader of the Welsh Conservatives has become the latest Tory to suggest Boris Johnson’s premiership is growing ever “more challenging”. Andrew RT Davies said: “Each and every day the prime minister gets up, like any leader, they have to look in the mirror and ask themselves ‘can they continue to deliver for their country and for the people who have put them into office?’“I presume that’s getting far more challenging when the prime minister looked in the mirror these days with the messages that are coming from the ballot box such as by-elections we had last night.”Rory Sullivan24 June 2022 13:591656074407Voices: Labour’s win in Wakefield is not enough to put Keir Starmer in No 10Labour and the Liberal Democrats seemingly had a lot to celebrate this morning after convincing by-election victories over the Conservatives in Wakeford and Tiverton & Honiton. However, our political commentator John Rentoul believes the margin of victory indicates that Labour will struggle to win a majority at the next election. Read more here: Rory Sullivan24 June 2022 13:401656073207Tory minister hits out at Dowden over resignation Environment minister Zac Goldsmith appears to have criticised Oliver Dowden for resigning as chair of the Conservative party. The Tory peer, who is a close Johnson ally, tweeted a video of Mr Dowden on Friday along with the words: “Many, if not most politicians will enthusiastically embrace an idea if they think it helps them personally, but they will just as enthusiastically ditch it if they think that helps their fortunes. This is true of all parties.”Rory Sullivan24 June 2022 13:201656071845Lib Dems refuse to speculate about chances at next election Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, has refused to say how many seats his party would like to win at the next general election. This comes after their victory in the Tiverton by-election yesterday. “It is difficult to say as we are maybe two years from a general election,” Sir Ed said.“The fact we have won three parliamentary by-elections in just over 12 months suggests we are going to make advances and are going to get rid of a lot of Conservative MPs.“It is too early to put a number on it but we certainly intend to get rid of a lot of Conservative MPs.”Rory Sullivan24 June 2022 12:57 More

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s leadership of the Conservative party suffered a heavy double blow as voters rejected the Tories in two by-elections.In the the southwestern constituency of Tiverton and Honiton, the Liberal Democrats overturned a 24,000 Conservative majority to win, while the main opposition Labour Party reclaimed Wakefield in northern England.The contests, triggered by the resignations of Conservatives hit by scandals, offered voters the chance to give their verdict on the prime minister just weeks after 41% of his own MPs cast their ballots against himLosing both special elections will increase jitters among restive Conservatives who already worry the ebullient but erratic and divisive Johnson is no longer an electoral asset. More

Labour has won the Wakefield by-election, a result which has dealt a significant blow to Boris Johnson on the same night the Conservatives lost the Tiverton and Honiton vote to the Lib Dems. Simon Lightwood becomes Labour’s newest MP after gaining 13,166 votes, compared to 8,241 for Conservative candidate Nadeem Ahmed. Wakefield was one of the so-called red wall seats won by the Tories with a majority of more than 3,000 in the 2019 general election after being a Labour stronghold since the 1930s.The by-election was triggered when ex-Conservative MP Imran Ahmad Khan quit after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy – a crime for which he was jailed for 18 months.In his victory speech, Mr Lightwood said: “Tonight the people of Wakefield have spoken on behalf of the British people. “They have said unreservedly, Boris Johnson your contempt for this country is no longer tolerated. Your government has no ideas, no plan to address the big issues facing our countries.” More