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Tamworth and Mid Beds results: Rishi Sunak suffers double blow as Labour pull off biggest by-election upset since 1945
RISHI Sunak suffered two crushing by-election blows today as Labour pulled off historic swings to win Tamworth and Mid-Bedfordshire.
Sir Keir Starmer hailed the results as a sign that "people overwhelmingly want change" and are "ready to put faith in our changed Labour to deliver it".
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The PM said the Conservative losses in the Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire by-elections were “disappointing” but said there were “local factors at play”.
Tory Greg Hands said his party should "reflect" on the circumstances leading up to the mega defeats.
He told Times Radio: "I don't see any enthusiasm for Labour but clearly there's been a lot of, if you like, background circumstances in those two by-elections that have also made the job difficult for us.
"But clearly we need to reflect on that and we need to continue to deliver against our priorities and make sure that people see that Rishi Sunak is doing a very good job as Prime Minister."
In Tamworth, Sarah Edwards defeated Conservative candidate Andrew Cooper by 1,316 votes - overturning a huge 19,600 majority.
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Mr Cooper rushed to the exit of the town's Rawlett School just before the final result was announced and was missing on stage as Ms Edwards delivered her victory speech.
In Mid-Beds, Labour's Alistair Strathern beat Local Police and Crime Commissioner Festus Akinbusoye to overturn former minister Nadine Dorries' 24,000 majority.
It is the largest numerical Tory majority to be overturned at a by-election since 1945.
Alongside Labour Reform UK also picked up traditional Tory votes, bagging 1,487 in Mid Beds and 1,373 in Tamworth.
Without the right wing party taking its 5.5% share in Tamworth the Conservatives could've just clung on to the seat.
A jubilant Sir Keir said: “These are phenomenal results that show Labour is back in the service of working people and redrawing the political map.
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“Winning in these Tory strongholds shows that people overwhelmingly want change and they’re ready to put their faith in our changed Labour Party to deliver it.
“To those who have given us their trust, and those considering doing so, Labour will spend every day acting in your interests and focused on your priorities. Labour will give Britain its future back.”
Shadow Minister Peter Kyle, who headed up Labour's Mid-Beds campaign, said the party had delivered a "political earthquake".
"This is the biggest by-election shock in history," he said.
"It is a political earthquake and it is one that is sending an unignorable message to Westminster and to Rishi Sunak that this country deserves better."
In a message to the PM following his victory, Mr Strathern demanded: "Get in your government car, drive to Buckingham Palace, do the decent thing and call a general election."
Polling supremo Professor Sir John Curtice described the results as "extremely bad news" for the Tories, adding Rishi Sunak is on course for defeat at the next General Election.
He said: "This isn't destiny, but it is a pointer and it is a pointer that, unless the Conservatives can fairly dramatically and fairly radically turn things around, then they are in truth staring defeat in the face in 12 months' time.
"We’re not looking at ordinary by-election losses, we’re looking at exceptional swings for which only real precedent is not very happy for Conservatives."
Sir John warned the Tories risked losing voters to both Labour on the left and Reform UK on the right.
Today's results take the total number of by-elections the Tories have lost since the 2019 General Election to eight.
The party has held on to three seats and gained one - Hartlepool.
In Tory WhatsApp groups hopeful MPs highlighted that many of their traditional voters chose to stay at home rather than make the switch to Labour.
One minister told The Sun: "The main point is that Labour voters turned out and Conservatives didn't.
"At a general election it should go back, firmly."
Other senior Tories disagreed, insisting the Conservative popularity problem has far deeper roots.
Former minister Lord David Frost said: "The results are extremely bad for my party.
"Yes, things are different at by-elections and there were probably special factors.
"But these results show that the national polls are broadly correct and that a strategy of denial is unlikely to work.
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"If your voters don't want to come out and vote for you then you don't win elections. It's as simple as that."
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