In two English districts, voters dealt blows to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak by electing opposition-party lawmakers. Labour candidates Dan Egan and Gen Kitchen won seats previously held by the Conservatives in Kingswood and Wellingborough, respectively. These victories mark a significant shift, as the Conservatives had previously held both seats by large margins since the 2019 national election. The Reform Party’s third-place finish added pressure on the Conservatives.
Labour leader Keir Starmer interpreted the results as a desire for change among the electorate. These outcomes compound existing concerns within the Conservative Party about potential defeat in the upcoming national election, with polls consistently showing them trailing Labour by significant margins.
The byelections were called to replace two departing lawmakers, Chris Skidmore and Peter Bone. Skidmore resigned from the Kingswood seat in protest against Sunak’s environmental policies, while Bone faced allegations of bullying and sexual misconduct in Wellingborough.
The Conservatives’ loss in these byelections adds to a string of defeats, totaling 10 since the last general election and the most for any administration since the 1960s. Sunak, who took office in 2022, succeeded Liz Truss but has struggled to improve the party’s popularity despite bringing stability.
The Conservative Party has been in power nationally since 2010, navigating through periods of austerity, Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a recent European conflict exacerbating a cost-of-living crisis. However, their support has dwindled, alienating both affluent southern voters disillusioned by Brexit and working-class northern voters who switched allegiance in 2019.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s promises to address economic disparities have largely gone unfulfilled, contributing to stagnant economic growth and a recent recession in 2023.
