Byelection results - live: Boost for Starmer after Rochdale ‘shambles’ as Labour clinches two major victories

Two byelection victories have boosted Keir Starmer after a difficult week for Labour in which the party was accused of a “shambolic” handling of an antisemitism row.

Labour overturned huge Tory majorities to win in Kingswood and Wellingborough, meaning the Conservatives have now suffered the most byelection defeats of any government since the 1960s.

Speaking to broadcasters on Friday morning, Mr Starmer acknowledged it had been a “bumpy” week, but insisted the victories suggest the public can see that his party has changed since Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, which was often overshadowed by controversies surrounding its handling of antisemitism allegations.

“I think there is a message now from these by-elections… I think the country is crying out for change. Everybody knows that,” he added.

Earlier, Rishi Sunak insisted that his government’s “plan is working” as he urged voters to stick with the Conservatives in the wake of thedouble defeat.

The prime minister said the circumstances surrounding the by-elections in Kingswood and Wellingborough were “particularly challenging” and suggested that the low turnout meant that there “isn’t a huge amount of enthusiasm for the alternative in Keir Starmer,” who he claimed had “no plan” for government.

Key Points

• Rishi Sunak insists ‘plan is working’ in plea to voters

• Keir Starmer says country ‘crying out for change’

• Sunak in ‘deep electoral trouble’, says polling guru

• Full result of the Wellingborough by-election

• Full result of the Kingswood by-election

Turnout in Kingswood by-election

00:12 , Alex Ross

We’ve just had the turnout announced for the Kingswood by-election; 37.11 per cent - which is higher than many were expecting, but still way down on the 71.5 per cent at the 2019 general election.

Wellingborough voter turnout plummeted to 38.1 per cent

00:52 , Archie Mitchell

The turnout in the Wellingborough by-election has fallen dramatically from 2019.

Just 38.1 per cent of the electorate voted amid upset at the Conservatives’ decision to pick Helen Harrison, the partner of ousted Tory MP Peter Bone, to contest the seat.

The turnout here in the 2019 general election was almost double that, at 64.3 per cent.

Labour sources have told Sky News they believe they have won the seat.

The Tory candidate in the Kingswood by-election

00:54 , Alex Ross

Tory candidate in the Kingswood by-election Sam Bromiley is here at the count at Thornbury Leisure Centre.

The leader of the Conservatives on South Gloucestershire Council has focused his campaign on protecting the local green belt from housing.

It’s a hot topic locally with many concerned over a loss of countryside to needed housing - but will it be enough to get people to vote him, we’ll find out soon enough.

Background on Kingswood constituency

01:00 , Athena Stavrou

Chris Skidmore won the Gloucestershire constituency for the Conservatives at the past four general elections, increasing his share of the vote on each occasion, from 40% in 2010 to 49% in 2015, 55% in 2017 and 56% in 2019.

Before 2010, Labour had won the seat at every general election since 1992.

This week’s by-election was triggered by Mr Skidmore’s resignation as MP in January, in protest at Government legislation to boost North Sea oil and gas drilling.

He had previously announced his intention to stand down at the next general election, when the constituency is being abolished.

Labour came second in the seat at each of the past four general elections and is the main challenger in Thursday’s contest.

To win, the party needs a swing in the share of the vote of 11.4 percentage points.

This is the equivalent of a net change of 12 in every 100 people who voted Conservative in 2019 switching sides.

It is a much smaller swing than the ones achieved by Labour in its recent by-election successes against the Tories, such as 23.9 percentage points at Tamworth, 23.7 points at Selby & Ainsty and 20.5 points at Mid Bedfordshire.

There are six candidates standing in the by-election: Sam Bromiley (Conservative), Andrew Brown (Liberal Democrat), Damien Egan (Labour), Lorraine Francis (Green), Rupert Lowe (Reform) and Nicholas Wood (Ukip).

The abolition of the constituency at the next general election – which has to take place by law no later than January 2025 – means whoever wins the by-election will represent the seat for only a few months.

Labour Wellingborough source: ‘We are moving from hopeful to optimistic’

01:29 , Archie Mitchell

A Labour source has told The Independent the campaign team are moving from “hopeful to optimistic”, with results of the Wellingborough by-election expected within hours.

Rival parties have conceded that they expect a Labour win, with figures in the Tory camp conceding that the contest was always going to be “tough”.

We’ve just spoken to Jacob Rees-Mogg

01:34 , Alex Ross

The MP for North East Somerset has arrived at the count.

We spoke to him. He said he had come for GB News, for which he is a presenter, and because he had a “particular interest” with boundary changes bringing part of this constituency into his at the next general election.

Would he be concerned of the impact if Labour won the Kingswood by-election? He said: “MPs always want people to vote for the party that they represent so with all elections I want people to vote Conservative and I’m very conscious that at by-elections with a 37 per cent turnout events are very different from a general election.

“I did quite alot of campaigning for the by-election in the part that will become part of North East Somerset and there’s not alot of enthusiasm for the Tories, but there isn’t alot of enthusiasm for Keir Starmer.”

We’re getting close at the Kignswood by-election

01:37 , Alex Ross in Thornbury

We are 15 minutes away from finding out who has won the Kingswood by-election

Ben Habib: ‘Labour have taken it... but Reform UK won the air war’

01:43 , Archie Mitchell

Reform UK’s Ben Habib has claimed the Nigel Farage-backed party “won the air war” in the Wellingborough by-election.

The former MEP said he expects Labour to have won the seat, but said Reform made the biggest impact across the country.

“Whatever the outcome, we've made big inroads through this by-election and, if I may say so, I think to the extent that there was an air war, we absolutely crucified both the Labour Party and Tory party,” Mr Habib told The Independent.

He added: “Nationally, the impression we made in this by election already has been much bigger.”

Mr Habib said he will stand in Wellingborough again, having “developed an affinity to the people”.

Reform UK ‘more than the difference’ between Labour and Tories in Kingswood

01:49 , Archie Mitchell

Reform UK is expected to have won more votes than the difference between Labour and the Tories in Kingswood - helping tip Rishi Sunak’s party to a devastating loss.

With hours to go until the result is announced, Labour expects to have clinched the seat - vacated by former Tory MP Chris Skidmore.

Sources expect Reform to have picked up enough of the vote to have effectively deprived the Conservatives of a win.

RESULT: Labour win Kingswood

01:56 , Alex Ross

Labour overturns 11,200 Tory majority to win at Kingswood by-election

Background on Wellinborough constituency

02:00 , Athena Stavrou

The Northamptonshire constituency was won by Peter Bone for the Conservatives at every general election from 2005 to 2019.

He increased the Tories’ share of the vote at each poll, pushing it up from 43% in 2005 to 48% in 2010, 52% in 2015, 57% in 2017 and 62% in 2019.

Labour came second in four of the five contests, the exception being 2015 when Ukip was runner-up.

Further back, Labour won Wellingborough at the 1997 and 2001 general elections.

The chain of events that led to the by-election began when Mr Bone received a six-week suspension from the House of Commons after an inquiry found he had subjected a staff member to bullying and sexual misconduct.

The suspension triggered a recall petition in his constituency which was signed by more than 10% of voters – the threshold for an MP to be removed from their seat.

The by-election is similar to Kingswood in that is it a two-horse race between the Conservatives and Labour.

However, the swing needed by Labour to win the seat is larger, at 17.9 percentage points – in other words, the equivalent of a net change of 18 in every 100 people who voted Tory in 2019 switching sides.

This is still a smaller swing than the ones managed by Labour in 2023 at the by-elections in Tamworth, Selby & Ainsty and Mid Bedfordshire.

There are 11 candidates standing in this by-election: Nick the Flying Brick (Official Monster Raving Loony), Ana Gunn (Liberal Democrat), Ben Habib (Reform), Helen Harrison (Conservative), Ankit Love Jknpp Jay Mala Post-Mortem (no description), Gen Kitchen (Labour), Alex Merola (Britain First), Will Morris (Green), Andre Pyne-Bailey (Independent), Marion Turner-Hawes (no description) and Kev Watts (Independent).

The constituency of Wellingborough is being replaced at the next general election by the new seat of Wellingborough & Rushden.

Keir Starmer: Win in Kingswood shows people are ready to trust Labour again

02:05 , Archie Mitchell

Sir Keir Starmer has said Labour’s win in Kingswood shows people are ready to trust the party in government.

The Labour leader praised Damien Egan’s “fantastic” win, after he overturned a Conservative majority of more than 11,000.

Sir Keir 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."

Full result of the Kingswood by-election

02:16 , Archie Mitchell

Damien Egan (Labour) 11,176 (44.94 per cent, +11.50 per cent)

Sam Bromiley (Conservative) 8,675 (34.88 per cent, -21.31 per cent)

Rupert Lowe (Reform) 2,578 (10.37 per cent)

Lorraine Francis (Green) 1,450 (5.83 per cent, +3.40 per cent)

Andrew Brown (Liberal Democrat) 861 (3.46 per cent, -3.48 per cent)

Nicholas Wood (UKIP) 129 (0.52 per cent)

Lab maj 2,501 (10.06 per cent)

16.40 per cent swing Conservative to Labour

Damien Egan thanks Kingswood community for trust

02:24 , Alex Ross in Thornbury

Damien Egan, the newly elected Labour MP for Kingswood in South Gloucestershire, thanked his family and the many Labour activists who helped him win.

“Most of all, I’d like to say thank you, to the residents and people of Kingswood,” he said.

“Your honesty, your frankness has helped keep my campaign rooted in the issues that are really impacting our community – the cost of living crisis, safety of our streets and the NHS.

“Thank you for giving me your trust and for allowing me to serve the community that I’m from.”

‘Our country is at a crossroads’ - Damien Egan

02:28 , Alex Ross

Damien Egan, in his winning speech after winning the Kingswood by-election, said:“In Kingswood, as across the country, 14 years of Conservative government have sucked the hope out of our country with a feeling that no matter how hard you work, you just can’t move forward.

“And with Rishi’s recession we’re left again paying more and getting less. It doesn’t have to be this way, you know it, I know it, we all know it.

“When the Prime Minister finally finds the courage to give the people a say, we’re going to need each and every one of you again to come out and vote and make sure your voices are heard.

“Our country is at a crossroads. Under the Conservatives we can choose more managed decline, more chaos, more division or we can choose a changed Labour Party.”

Labour’s Kingswood swing would cost the Tories 169 seats nationally

02:30 , Archie Mitchell

The 16.4 per cent swing from the Tories to Labour would cost Rishi Sunak 169 seats at a general election, putting Sir Keir Starmer on course for an outright majority.

It is the sixth by-election win since Sir Keir took the reins from Jeremy Corbyn.

And it means the Tories have had nine by-election losses in this parliament, more than in the run up to Sir Tony Blair’s 1997 Labour landslide.

‘We can’t be unhappy with that’ - Reform UK

02:38 , Alex Ross in Thornbury

Reform’s 10 per cent share of the vote in Kingswood represents its best performance in a by-election so far this parliament, and is up from the 5 per cent and 4 per cent the party achieved in the Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire by-elections respectively in October 2023.

Candidate Rupert Lowe was overhead telling his aides: “We can’t be unhappy with that.”

We spoke to new Kingswood MP Damien Egan

03:05 , Alex Ross

Damien Egan was with family in Yate, about a 30-minute drive from the count in Thornbury, after the polls closed at 10pm, before receiving a call that the result was going to be declared earlier than first expected.

The 42-year-old, who lives in Staple Hill, spoke to us after his win.

After we asked how he was feeling, and why he’d won, he said: “Incredibly exciting, it really hasn’t sunk in at all yet. I think the reason [we won] was because we talked to people about the issues that they cared about, cost-of-living crisis, talking about policing and feeling safer on the streets, and the NHS.”

Asked if he was worried over the impact of the antisemitism row in Rochdale on the vote, he said: “When you are a candidate, you worry about everything. I was worried about the rain more to be honest, because as I thought with such heavy rain people wouldn’t come out to vote, but I’ll be honest, the issues you are referring to didn’t come up.”

What triggered the by-elections?

04:00 , Athena Stavrou

Two by-elections were voted on by constituents in the Gloucestershire seat of Kingswood and the Northamptonshire seat of Wellingborough on Thursday in a key day in UK politics.

Kingswood’s vote was triggered by Chris Skidmore’s resignation as an MP in protest at Government legislation to boost North Sea oil and gas drilling.

He won the Gloucestershire constituency for the Tories at the past four general elections, before which Labour held it at every general election since 1992.

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.

He won the Northamptonshire constituency at every general election from 2005 to 2019, with Labour coming second in four of the five contests and Ukip in 2015. His majority in 2019 was 36%.

Labour’s Gen Kitchen wins the Wellingborough by-election

04:09 , Archie Mitchell

Labour has won the Wellingborough by-election, with candidate Gen Kitchen overturning the Conservatives’ 19,000 majority.

The 28-year-old beat the Tories’ Helen Harrison, the partner of disgraced former MP Peter Bone, whose resignation sparked the contest.

Ms Kitchen will be the first Labour MP for Wellingborough since Mr Bone turned the seat blue in 2005. She will also enter the House of Commons as one of its youngest MPs.

Ms Kitchen won with 13,844 votes, almost twice as many as Ms Harrison, who secured 7,408 votes.

Full Wellingborough by-election result

04:23 , Archie Mitchell

Gen Kitchen (Labour) 13,844 (45.92 per cent, +19.46 per cent)

Helen Harrison (Conservative) 7,408 (24.57 per cent, -37.60 per cent)

Ben Habib (Reform UK) 3,919 (13.00 per cent)

Ana Savage Gunn (Liberal Democrat) 1,422 (4.72 per cent, -3.14 per cent)

Marion Turner-Hawes (ND) 1,115 (3.70 per cent)

Will Morris (Green) 1,020 (3.38 per cent, -0.12 per cent)

Kev Watts (Ind) 533 (1.77 per cent)

Alex Merola (Britain First) 477 (1.58 per cent)

Nick The Flying Brick (Monster Raving Loony Party) 217 (0.72 per cent)

Andre Pyne-Bailey (Independent) 172 (0.57 per cent)

Ankit Love Jay Mala (ND) 18 (0.06 per cent)

Lab maj 6,436 (21.35 per cent)

28.53 per cent swing C to Lab

Electorate 79,372; Turnout 30,145 (37.98 per cent, -26.30 per cent)

Tells you nothing about the general election - Rees-Mogg

04:25 , Alex Ross

Labour’s overturning of the Conservative majority in Kingswood could be read as a sign of how things will go at the general election this year by many, but not for North East Somerset MP Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Speaking after the result, he said: “Does it tell you anything about the general election? Almost certainly not.

“By-elections are an opportunity for people not to turn out, to protest, and at ensuing general elections they don’t give a consistent guide to what happens.”

He added: “From the point of view of Kingswood, I think the Conservatives can be more pleased than they might have expected. I certainly thought this result would be worse.

“Bear in mind a lot of the postal votes would have been back before Labour’s problem with antisemitism was in the public.”

Keir Starmer: ‘Rishi’s recession proves the Tories have failed’

04:57 , Archie Mitchell

After the results of the Wellingborough contest were confirmed Sir Keir said the “fantastic” wins show “people want change and are ready to put their faith in a changed Labour Party to deliver it”.

He said: "By winning in these Tory strongholds, we can confidently say that Labour is back in the service of working people and we will work tirelessly to deliver for them.

"The Tories have failed. Rishi’s recession proves that. That’s why we’ve seen so many former Conservative voters switching directly to this changed Labour Party.

"Those who gave us their trust in Kingswood and Wellingborough, and those considering doing so, can be safe in the knowledge that we will spend every day working to get Britain’s future back.”

‘This shows that people are fed up’ - Gen Kitchen

05:11 , Alex Ross

Gen Kitchen, the new MP for Wellingborough, said she was “ecstatic” at the result, adding that the double by-election win for Labour shows that people are “fed up” and want change.

She said: “I hope Damien (Egan, new Labour MP for Kingswood) is as ecstatic as I am, and I’m sure the Labour leadership will be as well.

“This shows that people are fed up, they want change, they want competency, they want pragmatism and they want politicians to under-promise and over-deliver, which is what I am hoping to do.

“It shows how much hard work we put in and the real positive message we were putting out. There is a real appetite for a fresh start and change.”

Pictures from the Wellingborough count

05:15 , Alex Ross

Sir Keir Starmer: ‘These are fantastic results'

05:37 , Alex Ross

Sir Keir will not be doing a media round on Friday morning as he attends the funeral of the late Rochdale MP Sir Tony Lloyd.

But speaking about tonight’s results, he said: “These are fantastic results in Kingswood and Wellingborough that show people want change and are ready to put their faith in a changed Labour Party to deliver it.

“By winning in these Tory strongholds, we can confidently say that Labour is back in the service of working people and we will work tirelessly to deliver for them.

“The Tories have failed. Rishi’s recession proves that. That’s why we’ve seen so many former Conservative voters switching directly to this changed Labour Party.”

Good morning, here’s the latest

06:16 , Athena Stavrou

The Tories suffered a devastating double by-election defeat overnight with Labour taking huge majorities in both the Gloucestershire seat of Kingswood and the Northamptonshire seat of Wellingborough.

In Wellingborough, Labour’s Gen Kitchen won 45.92 per cent of the vote while her Conservative opponent Helen Harrison won just 24.57 per cent.

It marks the second-largest swing to Labour since the Second World War.

Similar results were seen in Kingswood were the Labour candidate Damien Egan won 44.94 per cent of the vote compared to the 34.88 per cent the Conservative’s Sam Bromiley received.

Upon his election, Mr Egan said: “Our country is at a crossroads. Under the Conservatives we can choose more managed decline, more chaos, more division or we can choose a changed Labour Party.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also weighed in on the results and said: “The Tories have failed. Rishi’s recession proves that. That’s why we’ve seen so many former Conservative voters switching directly to this changed Labour Party.”

What do the losses mean for the Conservatives?

06:39 , Athena Stavrou

Defeats in Thursday’s by-elections in Kingswood and Wellingborough mean the Conservatives have lost more by-elections in a single parliament than any government since the 1960s.

The Tories have clocked up 10 such defeats since the 2019 general election – two more than the eight suffered by the 1992-97 Conservative government led by John Major.

It is more than any previous government since the 1966-70 Labour administration of Harold Wilson, which endured 15 losses.

Even accounting for the Conservatives’ one by-election gain this parliament – winning Hartlepool from Labour in 2021 – the double defeat on Thursday brings the party’s overall by-election scorecard to nine net losses, which is still worse than any government since 1966-70.

Key numbers and statistics in full

06:55 , Athena Stavrou

As the Conservatives face a double blow in the Kingswood and Wellingborough by-elections, they become the party to have lost more by-elections in a single parliament than any government since the 1960s.

The Tories have clocked up 10 such defeats since the 2019 general election – more than any previous government since the 1966-70 Labour administration of Harold Wilson, which endured 15 losses.

Here are the key statistics and historical benchmarks from the results of Thursday’s by-elections:

Kingswood and Wellingborough election results: Key numbers and statistics

Who is Damien Egan? Labour’s new MP for Kingswood

06:56 , Athena Stavrou

Damien Egan has won the Kingswood by-election, overturning a 11,200 majority held by the Conservatives to give Labour a further boost ahead of the general election.

Mr Egan’s win, beating Tory candidate Sam Bromiley by 2,501 votes, was not a great surprise locally for a seat last held by Labour in 2005.

The Cork-born MP has been supported by notable visits from the likes of Sir Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves and Dawn Butler.

But it is his local roots which have been a key part of his campaign. So here The Independent looks at who is Mr Egan?

Who is Damien Egan? Labour’s new MP for Kingswood

Who is Gen Kitchen? Labour’s new MP for Wellingborough

07:05 , Athena Stavrou

Gen Kitchen has just become the first Labour MP for Wellingborough since Peter Bone turned the seat blue in 2005.

The Northamptonshire constituency was the second most marginal seat for Labour in Sir Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide, with Paul Stinchcombe winning by just 187 votes.

And Labour figures are confident that Ms Kitchen’s win, beating Tory candidate Helen Harrison by more than 6,000 votes, puts the party on course for a landslide under Sir Keir Starmer later this year.

Amid the fallout of another dramatic by-election win for Labour The Independent asks, who is the new MP for Wellingborough?

Who Labour’s new MP for Wellingborough? All you need to know about is Gen Kitchen

‘People going directly from Conservative to Labour'

07:20 , Athena Stavrou

Veteran Labour MP Sir Chris Bryant said that he had spoken to people in Kingswood who had voted Labour for the first time in their lives, as Labour took the win in the by-election.

Speaking from the Kingswood count, Mr Bryant said: “I am delighted. I had a moment this afternoon when I all thought it was going wrong because of the rain and it was pouring down and I was sopping wet and I wasn’t sure how I was going to get into a suit.

“But people came out and they voted. A lot of switchers – people going directly from Conservative to Labour. One man said to me today he was 65 and had voted Conservative all his life, including during the Tony Blair years, and today was the first time he voted Labour.”

Watch: moment Labour’s Damien Egan is announced the winner of the Kingswood by-election

07:33 , Athena Stavrou

This is the moment Labour’s Damien Egan is announced as the winner of the Kingswood by-election.

As the party overturned a Conservative majority of more than 11,000, Mr Egan claimed “The Tories have sucked the hope out of our country”.

In his victory speech in the early hours of Friday morning, Mr Egan thanked the activists who helped him win and the people of Kingswood for putting their trust in him.

He said: “It’s a trust that I promise to repay, to show you that politics can be different and it can make a difference.”

Watch Labour’s Damien Egan win Kingswood by-election: ‘Tories sucked hope out of UK’

07:43 , Athena Stavrou

Conservative Party chairman Richard Holden said both by-election results were “very disappointing”.

Mr Holden told Sky News: “Very disappointing results – no need to shy away from that – in both Kingswood and Wellingborough.

“I think one of the most disappointing things for me though is the turnout in the by-elections was so significantly down compared to the previous general elections in both seats. I want to see people actively participating in democracy.

“I think that shows we’ve got a lot to do to get people out there and enthused to vote again, and probably the Opposition have a similar challenge.”

He added: “I think we’ve got to look at both these by-elections in the context in which they happened as well.

“We had an MP in Kingswood who stood down and also obviously in Wellingborough we had a parliamentary investigation, which led to a recall petition which led to an MP being forced to stand down.

“Not ideal circumstances for any form of by-election for any party.”

He also told BBC Breakfast that people were “keeping their vote at home” and insisted voters stayed at home rather than switching their votes.

Reform UK want Labour in Downing Street, Tory party chairman says

08:00 , Athena Stavrou

Reform UK want to see Sir Keir Starmer in Downing Street, the Conservative Party chairman said.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Richard Holden said: “Their ambition is to block Conservatives winning seats and therefore put Keir Starmer into Downing Street.

“They’ve made it very clear, you’ve read out that statement from them, that’s what Reform UK want to do, they want to see Keir Starmer in Downing Street and not have a Conservative government.”

He added: “Reform aren’t challenging realistically for seats. This general elections is going to be a battle between the Conservatives and the Labour Party.

“All Reform are going to do, as they’ve said themselves, is help put Keir Starmer and Labour into Downing Street.”

Asked if Prime Minister Rishi Sunak needs to appease the right of the Conservative Party, Mr Holden said: “If the right of the British politics and the centre and centre-right – that broad church which is the Conservative Party – doesn’t unite, then we will see a Labour victory.”

He added: “I believe we have every opportunity to win the next general election, I think we definitely can do it, but that means we have got to come together as a party, unite in the best interests of the country, deliver those things that we’ve promised, work together as a party to do that.”

Sunak in ‘deep electoral trouble’, says polling guru

08:17 , Athena Stavrou

Top polling guru Sir John Curtice has sent the Conservatives a stark warning following their disaster double by-election defeat, stating the party is in “deep, deep electoral trouble”.

Sir John told the BBC that although the 21-point drop in Kingswood is in line with what the party are currently suffering in the opinion polls, it is the Wellingborough result of 37-38 points that is “the biggest Tory loss the Conservatives have ever managed to suffer in a post-war by-election”.

The pollster acknowledged that the “circumstances around Peter Bone’s downfall” may have added to the losses, but that “this morning, we are still looking at a government that, at the moment, is staring defeat in the face”.

Sir John said: “[This] confirms that the Conservatives are still in deep, deep electoral trouble.

Watch moment Labour’s Gen Kitchen wins Wellingborough by-election

08:30 , Athena Stavrou

This is the moment Labour’s Gen Kitchen wins the Wellingborough by-election, overturning a Conservative majority of more than 18,500.

Ms Kitchen said she was “ecstatic” at the result, and the double by-election win for Labour shows people are “fed up” and want change.

The candidate said she cut short her honeymoon to begin campaigning when she was told former Conservative MP Peter Bone had been suspended from the Commons.

She was announced as the winner on Friday just over two hours after Labour also triumphed at Kingswood and she achieved the second-largest swing from Tory to Labour at a by-election since the Second World War.

Starmer says country ‘crying out for change'

08:41 , Athena Stavrou

Appearing on BBC Breakfast, Sir Keir Starmer said the results of yesterday’s by-elections is an indication that the country is “crying out for change”.

“I think there is a message now from these by-elections,” the Labour leader said.

“I think the country is crying out for change. Everybody knows things aren’t working. Their NHS isn’t working, they’ve got a cost of living crisis.

“I think they’ve concluded that the Tories have failed after 14 years they can see now that the Labour Party has changed. It’s a different party to the party it was in 2019 and they can see we’ve got the answers to their problems.”

Starmer avoids outright celebration amid landslide by-election victories

09:07 , Athena Stavrou

Sir Keir Starmer said Labour are “credible contenders” for the 2024 general election, but “that is all we are.”

“I’m very proud of that result, I’m proud of the work I’ve done as leader,” the Labour leader told BBC Breakfast.

“The progress we’ve now made from the worst results since 1935 to being now credible contenders, and that is all we are, for the 2024 election – I have to say, when I took over as leader most people shook my hand and said: ‘Good luck Keir,’ and in the next breath they said: ‘You will never do this in one five-year parliamentary term.’

“We’re trying to do, if you like, what Kinnock, what Smith and Blair did, over 13 or 14 years, in four short years.”

Labour campaign coordinator defends Starmer in Rochdale candidate controversy

09:21 , Athena Stavrou

Sir Keir Starmer acted “quickly and decisively” to remove Labour’s candidate for the Rochdale by-election, the party’s national campaign coordinator said.

An antisemitism row forced the Labour leader to drop Azhar Ali for the by-election on February 29, after it emerged he had allegedly blamed “people in the media from certain Jewish quarters” for the suspension of a pro-Palestinian MP.

Speaking to LBC on Friday, Pat McFadden said: “It’s not an easy thing to withdraw support from a candidate in a by-election after nominations have closed but he acted quickly and decisively to do that and that underlines the change that’s been made in the Labour party in recent years.”

He added: “We didn’t have the full story before us on Sunday, by Monday we did, and then we took the action. We acted very quickly on this.”

Sunak says by-election circumstances ‘particularly challenging'

09:40 , Athena Stavrou

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said the circumstances surrounding the Wellingborough and Kingswood by-elections were “particularly challenging” after the Tories suffered a double defeat to Labour at the polls.

The by-election in Kingswood was called after former MP Chris Skidmore stepped down in protest against the government plans for oil and gas in the North Sea.

Meanwhile, The by-election in Wellingborough was called after disgraced ex-MP Peter Bone was booted out of parliament for indecently exposing himself to a staff member and trapping him in a hotel bathroom.

The results mean the government has now suffered the most by-election defeats of any government since the 1960s, surpassing the eight defeats suffered by John Major in the run-up to Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide victory.

Sunak urges voters not to back Reform

09:50 , Athena Stavrou

A vote for anyone except the Conservatives is a vote for Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister has said.

Rishi Sunak told reporters the actual choice at the general election is “between me and him”, referring to the Labour leader.

Following the double by-election defeat, Mr Sunak was asked whether he was more concerned about Reform UK or Labour and said: “A vote for anyone who isn’t the Conservative candidate, whether that’s Reform or anyone else, is just a vote to put Keir Starmer in power.

“That’s the actual choice at the general election, between me and him, between the Conservatives and Labour.

“Now I believe our plan is working. At the start of this year we’re heading in the right direction, taxes are coming down, inflation is falling, and if we stick with that plan we can deliver everyone a brighter future.”

New Labour MP ‘grateful’ to community

10:03 , Athena Stavrou

Damien Egan, the new MP for Kingswood, has said he is proud to represent the community he is from.

“It hasn’t settled in, I don’t know how to feel,” the Labour MP said. “I went through so many emotions yesterday; I finished the election thinking ‘I’m not sure if we’re over the line’.

“And then obviously, people have turned out and I’m just so grateful for the people of Kingswood putting their trust in me.

“I grew up in Kingswood and went to school at Hanham High, my family are here, it means a huge amount to be able to represent and speak for the community that you’re from.

“But there’s lots to fix, there is a long list of issues that people have raised with me.

“That’s going to be my job, to make sure that those voices are heard in Parliament.”

Conservative party chairman will not say he’s standing as a Conservative candidate at next election

10:19 , Zoe Grunewald

The Conservative party chairman has refused to confirm that he will be standing as a candidate at the next general election

Sir Richard Holden told LBC’s Nick Ferarri that he’s “not decided” but if he “does go for selection anywhere, that will very much be down to the local associations”.

When pushed by Mr Ferarri on whether the “chairman might desert the ship”, Mr Holden said he was “hoping to” seek a candidature.

He said: “We’ll have to see if there’s any vacancies and people decide to stand down or retire, but I’m hopeful that I will get selected somewhere – let’s leave it at that.”

Rishi Sunak has insisted his government’s “plan is working” despite recession and two record by-election losses

10:39 , Andy Gregory

Rishi Sunak has insisted that “our plan is working” and he can “give everyone the piece of mind that there is a better future for them and their families”.

Asked how it is possible to cut taxes during a recession, he said: “Because of our plan to halve inflation, which has been successful over the past year, and because economic conditions have improved. We have already been able to start cutting taxes for people.”

Speaking to reporters, the PM said: “We’ve clearly been through a lot over the past couple of years as a country, but I genuinely believe at the start of this year we’re pointing in the right direction.

“Now we’re not out of the woods yet, but across all the priorities that I set out we’re making progress.”

“And if we stick with that plan, I can give everyone the peace of mind that there is a better future for them and their families ahead, and we can all have a renewed sense of pride in the country,” he added.

Watch: Sunak breaks silence after double by-election

10:49 , Athena Stavrou

Sunak’s leadership ‘solid’ despite by-election losses, says Rees-Mogg

11:38 , Andy Gregory

Rishi Sunak’s leadership is “solid” despite the double by-election losses in Wellingborough and Kingswood, former minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has said.

Speaking to the BBC, the right-leaning Tory MP said: “Rishi Sunak’s leadership is solid and has support and by-elections don’t change that.”

A plot to oust Mr Sunak by allies of Mr Rees-Mogg recently bubbled to the surface at the time of a crucial vote on his Rwanda legislation, but quickly fizzled out after being met with scorn from other prominent Tories.

‘Last chance saloon’ to change course by ousting Sunak, Tory MP claims

11:55 , Kate Devlin

Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns has repeated her call for Rishi Sunak to be replaced as leader.

She warned her party that “sticking heads in the sand will make matters worse”.

She wrote on X: “However difficult for fellow MPs we have no choice, we have to change leader. We don’t want to be here but sticking heads in the sand will make matters worse.

“Last chance saloon to change course with a new leader, be tough on immigration & save our great country from the socialists.”

A vote for Reform is a vote for Starmer, says Rishi Sunak

12:20 , Kate Devlin

Rishi Sunak has told voters that a cross for Reform UK on the ballot paper is a vote for Sir Keir Starmer, as the party claimed third place in both of last night’s by-elections.

The PM said the “actual choice” at the general election is “between me and him”, referring to the Labour leader.

Reform gained 13 per cent of the vote in Wellingborough and 10 per cent in Kingswood, with the party leader Richard Tice stating it is “solidifying” itself as the third-largest political party in the UK.

Following the double by-election defeat, when Mr Sunak was asked whether he was more concerned about Reform UK or Labour during a visit to Harlow, Essex, he said: “A vote for anyone who isn’t the Conservative candidate, whether that’s Reform or anyone else, is just a vote to put Keir Starmer in power.

“That’s the actual choice at the general election, between me and him, between the Conservatives and Labour.

“Now I believe our plan is working. At the start of this year we’re heading in the right direction, taxes are coming down, inflation is falling, and if we stick with that plan we can deliver everyone a brighter future.”

Sunak urged to hold election in May after bruising by-election defeat

12:47 , Kate Devlin

A former cabinet minister said Rishi Sunak should call an election in May.

“It is our best chance of getting most (Tory MPs) back,” they told The Independent. “Otherwise it will seem like we are just holding on”.

Kingswood and Wellinborough byelections in charts and graphs

13:23 , Matt Mathers

Labour’s new MP for Wellingborough spotted in constituency after byelection victory

13:36 , Matt Mathers

Gen Kitchen has been pictured out and about in her constituency after winning the Wellingborough byelection.

Ms Kitchen beat the Conservative candidate Helen Harrison, the partner of ousted former MP Peter Bone, by 6,000 votes, with a swing of 28.5 per cent.

The Northamptonshire constituency was the second most marginal seat for Labour in Sir Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide, with Paul Stinchcombe winning by just 187 votes.

New Conservatives call on Sunak to change course following ‘unequivocal byelection defeats

13:46 , Matt Mathers

A right-wing faction of Conservative MPs – known as the New Conservatives – have called for Rishi Sunak to “change course” and “adapt to the reality that the by-elections reveal”, Zoe Grunewald reports.

In a public statement, co-chairs of the group Danny Kruger MP and Miriam Cates MP said that government policy so far “is plainly not enough”.

“All of this is plainly not enough. In 2019 the British people voted for change, and they haven’t seen it yet. We have many good excuses - the disruptions and distractions of Brexit, Covid and the Ukraine war - but so far, we have not delivered on the promises we made at the last election.”

They called for the government to repeal the Human Rights Act if foreign courts stop illegal migration plans, introduce further cuts to legal migration, reform the welfare state and cut taxes.

They state: “There is still time - but our Party must change course. We are calling on the Government to adapt to the reality that the by-elections reveal. Our target voters want a different and a better offer.”

Lord Frost says Tory vote is ‘collapsing’ as he calls on Sunak to adopt ‘more Conservative' policies

13:59 , Matt Mathers

Former Brexit minister and Rishi Sunak critic Lord David Frost has warned that the Conservative vote is “collapsing” and the government must now shift to “more conservative policy”, Zoe Grunewald reports.

Posting on social media site X, Lord Frost said: “In brief these by-elections show the same story as previous ones: former Conservative voters are simply not coming out and voting Conservative.“The Labour vote isn’t going up, but ours is collapsing.”

He added: “To get voters back we need a shift to more conservative policy, on tax and spend, immigration, net zero, public sector reform, and more. It’s late, but not - yet - too late.”

Tories can still win general election if we unite - Rees-Mogg

14:11 , Matt Mathers

The Conservative Party can still win the general election if it unites, former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has insisted.

“If the Tory family unites it will win,” the North East Somerset MP wrote on X.

Earlier, Mr Rees-Mogg said that Rishi Sunak’s leadership was “solid” despite the double by-election losses in Wellingborough and Kingswood.

Speaking to the BBC, the right-leaning Tory MP said: “Rishi Sunak’s leadership is solid and has support and by-elections don’t change that.”

A plot to oust Mr Sunak by allies of Mr Rees-Mogg recently bubbled to the surface at the time of a crucial vote on his Rwanda legislation, but quickly fizzled out after being met with scorn from other prominent Tories.

ICYMI: Polling guru John Curtice warns Rishi Sunak is in ‘deep electoral trouble’ after by-election disaster

15:19 , Matt Mathers

Top polling guru Sir John Curtice has sent the Conservatives a stark warning following their disaster double by-election defeat, stating the party is in “deep, deep electoral trouble”.

Sir John told the BBC that although the 21-point drop in Kingswood is in line with what the party are currently suffering in the opinion polls, it is the Wellingborough result of 37-38 points that is “the biggest Tory loss the Conservatives have ever managed to suffer in a post-war by-election”.

Full report here.

Disaster for Rishi Sunak as Labour overturns big Tory majorities in double by-election defeat

16:51 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak has suffered a devastating double blow as Labour stormed to back-to-back by-election victories overnight.

Hours after official figures showed Britain has fallen into a recession, the prime minister saw Labour overturn huge Tory majorities in Kingswood and Wellingborough.

Full report:

Disaster for Sunak as Labour overturns Tory majorities in double by-election defeat

Delaying election could make result worse for Tories, top Conservative commentator says

17:14 , Matt Mathers

The longer Rishi Sunak waits to hold a general election the worse the result could be for his party, a top Conservative commentator has suggested.

Tim Montgomerie, founder of Tory bible the Conservative Home website, said it was “absolutely over” for his party following today’s byelection results and warned the prime minister the electorate could get more angry in the months ahead.

“It’s over for the Tories,” he wrote in a post on X. “Absolutely over. We didn’t do what we said we’d do and did the things we said we wouldn’t. The longer Sunak delays the election date the angrier the electorate are going to get.”

Reform UK makes gains as Tory losses mount in double by-election drubbing

18:06 , Matt Mathers

Right-wing challenger party Reform UK has secured its best by-election results yet as Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg bemoaned his party’s performance and warned they should “learn from” the drubbing.

Richard Tice’s party scored double-digit shares of the vote in both Wellingborough and Kingswood overnight, as the party leader called it a “defining moment” that showed Reform to be a “significant force now in British politics and that people have got to take us seriously”.

Full report:

Reform UK makes gains as Tory losses mount in double by-election drubbing

Cameron: Putin should be ‘held accountable’ for death of Alexei Navalny

19:00 , Joe Middleton