NEW DELHI: Britain’s opposition Labour Party delivered a crushing blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak‘s Conservatives by securing victories in contests for two new lawmakers on Friday, indicating that the opposition party may have a good chance of winning the upcoming national election expected later this year.
This double defeat shows the declining fortunes of the ruling party and further fuels criticism against Sunak, with concerns that the Conservatives could face a near wipe-out in the national election unless there is a change in direction.
Despite Sunak’s attempts to rebrand himself as a bold reformer and a stable technocrat, the 43-year-old former investment banker has struggled to revive his party’s popularity. He insists that his plan is working and that he needs more time to stick to it. However, with Labour leading in the polls, Sunak may have to cater to the demands of certain factions within his party and adopt a more right-wing conservative agenda to offer an increasingly disaffected electorate.
Labour celebrates victory
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer 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 (Conservatives) 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,” he added.
Labour secured victory by overturning a hefty Conservative majority in the central English town of Wellingborough, clinching the parliamentary seat with 13,844 votes compared to the Conservative candidate’s 7,408. The right-wing Reform Party candidate, Ben Habib, garnered 3,919 votes.
In Kingswood, in southwestern England, Labour emerged victorious with 11,176 votes, while the Conservative candidate received 8,675 votes. The Conservatives have only managed to win four out of 21 by-elections since the last national election in 2019.
Sunak faces pressure amid economic recession and rising costs
The recent by-election defeats, a common occurrence for the governing party, have intensified the pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who assumed office just over a year ago. The magnitude of the loss in two long-held parliamentary seats adds to the challenges faced by the Conservatives.
The challenge from the Reform Party could also worry some in the governing party. Senior Conservative lawmaker Jacob Rees-Mogg said at least in Kingswood, if Reform supporters had voted for the governing party as part of the “Conservative family”, the Conservatives would have held the parliamentary seat.
It appears that the Conservatives had somewhat conceded the outcome of the two by-elections. While Labour actively deployed its lawmakers and activists to campaign in both constituencies, the Conservatives maintained a subdued presence.
Few anticipated they had any chance of winning in either place – the Wellingborough contest arose following the ousting of the former Member of Parliament due to a bullying and harassment scandal, while in Kingswood, former minister Chris Skidmore resigned in disagreement with Prime Minister Sunak’s climate change policies.
Despite some expectations that Labour would face repercussions this week, particularly when Labour leader Starmer did not promptly take action to reprimand a party candidate recorded expressing conspiracy theories about Israel and advocating for the elimination of a green investment target, the low voter turnout resulted in voters penalizing the governing party and Sunak.
Sunak is currently struggling to fulfill his election promises, and recent data on Thursday indicated that the economy had entered a recession in the latter half of 2023, posing a significant challenge for Sunak, who has prioritised boosting economic growth as a key pledge.
As the cost of living continues to rise and public services like healthcare and transportation face challenges, Sunak is under pressure to bridge the gap with the Labour Party.
Rees-Mogg said to turn things around, the main thing was “about energising the party and having the new ideas” to win back traditional Conservative voters.
“It’s still all to play for,” he added.
(With input from Agencies)
This double defeat shows the declining fortunes of the ruling party and further fuels criticism against Sunak, with concerns that the Conservatives could face a near wipe-out in the national election unless there is a change in direction.
Despite Sunak’s attempts to rebrand himself as a bold reformer and a stable technocrat, the 43-year-old former investment banker has struggled to revive his party’s popularity. He insists that his plan is working and that he needs more time to stick to it. However, with Labour leading in the polls, Sunak may have to cater to the demands of certain factions within his party and adopt a more right-wing conservative agenda to offer an increasingly disaffected electorate.
Labour celebrates victory
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer 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 (Conservatives) 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,” he added.
Labour secured victory by overturning a hefty Conservative majority in the central English town of Wellingborough, clinching the parliamentary seat with 13,844 votes compared to the Conservative candidate’s 7,408. The right-wing Reform Party candidate, Ben Habib, garnered 3,919 votes.
In Kingswood, in southwestern England, Labour emerged victorious with 11,176 votes, while the Conservative candidate received 8,675 votes. The Conservatives have only managed to win four out of 21 by-elections since the last national election in 2019.
Sunak faces pressure amid economic recession and rising costs
The recent by-election defeats, a common occurrence for the governing party, have intensified the pressure on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who assumed office just over a year ago. The magnitude of the loss in two long-held parliamentary seats adds to the challenges faced by the Conservatives.
The challenge from the Reform Party could also worry some in the governing party. Senior Conservative lawmaker Jacob Rees-Mogg said at least in Kingswood, if Reform supporters had voted for the governing party as part of the “Conservative family”, the Conservatives would have held the parliamentary seat.
It appears that the Conservatives had somewhat conceded the outcome of the two by-elections. While Labour actively deployed its lawmakers and activists to campaign in both constituencies, the Conservatives maintained a subdued presence.
Few anticipated they had any chance of winning in either place – the Wellingborough contest arose following the ousting of the former Member of Parliament due to a bullying and harassment scandal, while in Kingswood, former minister Chris Skidmore resigned in disagreement with Prime Minister Sunak’s climate change policies.
Despite some expectations that Labour would face repercussions this week, particularly when Labour leader Starmer did not promptly take action to reprimand a party candidate recorded expressing conspiracy theories about Israel and advocating for the elimination of a green investment target, the low voter turnout resulted in voters penalizing the governing party and Sunak.
Sunak is currently struggling to fulfill his election promises, and recent data on Thursday indicated that the economy had entered a recession in the latter half of 2023, posing a significant challenge for Sunak, who has prioritised boosting economic growth as a key pledge.
As the cost of living continues to rise and public services like healthcare and transportation face challenges, Sunak is under pressure to bridge the gap with the Labour Party.
Rees-Mogg said to turn things around, the main thing was “about energising the party and having the new ideas” to win back traditional Conservative voters.
“It’s still all to play for,” he added.
(With input from Agencies)