Byelections

By-election: Boris Johnson 'not listening' says Gale Sign up for FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Boris Johnson has suffered a trio of bombshell losses in just hours as the Conservatives were defeated in two byelections last night. The Lib Dems stole Tiverton and Honiton in Devon, which the Conservatives had held with a huge majority. Meanwhile, Labour took back Wakefield, West Yorkshire, which it lost to the Tories at the 2019 General Election. The third loss came in the form of Conservative co-chair Oliver Dowden, who stepped down from his post, writing in his resignation letter that his fellow Tories were “distressed and disappointed”. Related articles … [Read more...] about Boris Johnson Autumn exit looms as ‘plots’ taking place ‘below surface’ — Tory insider

Boris Johnson: 'Another no confidence vote likely' says Davey Sign up for FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Oliver Dowden awoke to the news that his Conservative Party had lost both the Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton by-elections, and by 5:35am this morning, quit his role as Tory co-chair. Writing to Boris Johnson , he told the Prime Minister that the party “deserves better” after the “latest in a run of very poor results”. The Liberal Democrats beat the Conservatives’ Helen Hurford to clinch the Tiverton and Honiton by-election in Devon, where the Tories had enjoyed a majority of more than 24,000. The seat’s new MP, Richard Foord, received 22,537 votes in a result … [Read more...] about Boris Johnson teetering on edge as Dowden exit hints PM close to end: ‘Serious blow’

By James Vincent Published 2 days ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics Wakefield by-election 2022 As voters in Wakefield prepare to head to the polls on Thursday, the result will be watched closely from Westminster. BBC Yorkshire Political Editor James Vincent has looked into the sometimes surprising history of the seat once seen as a Labour stronghold and what the result could mean for the main parties and, more importantly, the people of the constituency. In political writing they often talk about the power of repetition. So here we go… This is a very particular by-election - happening for a very particular reason - happening at a very particular time. And in this particular article, we'll start with why the 2019 election was such a shock. Wakefield has, for most people's lifetimes, been a Labour city. Not since the Empire State … [Read more...] about By-election: Wakefield’s particularly interesting ballot

By Alex Moss Published 4 days ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics Wakefield by-election 2022 As the Wakefield by-election nears, prospective candidates would do well to look outside the city and to the hundreds of thousands of potential voters in the rest of the constituency. The upcoming Wakefield by-election is seen by many as a must-win contest for Boris Johnson. The West Yorkshire constituency was taken by the Conservatives in 2019 for the first time in decades as Labour's so-called Red Wall tumbled to the Tories. Losing the seat would lead to more questions over the PM's leadership. Wakefield itself makes up a relatively small part of the constituency that bears it name. The boundary spreads far outside the urban centre, and its varied environs contain voters with wildly differing views on what they want from their MP. As with any political … [Read more...] about Wakefield by-election: The view from the margins

By Tom Airey Published 5 days ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics Wakefield by-election 2022 Wakefield's upcoming by-election - the northern leg of a 23 June double-header - is seen by many as a litmus test for Boris Johnson's leadership and a must-win for Keir Starmer. But while questions over the futures of both leaders and their parties loom large over the contest, it can be easy to overlook another: What matters to people in Wakefield? Far away from the Westminster bubble - 180 miles up the M1 motorway, in fact - Wakefield is a district that thrived on its mill and coal mining industries, with the closure of its final pit 20 years ago seeing the loss of thousands of jobs and the end of an era. Since then, it has ploughed on but struggled to escape the shadow of its bigger neighbours such as Leeds and Bradford. Many locals say a new, … [Read more...] about Wakefield by-election: What matters to local people?

On Thursday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered a double blow, as voters in two special elections rejected his Conservative Party, putting further pressure on the British leader at a time when his own party seems to be moving away from him. In the rural southwest England seat of Tiverton and Honiton, the centrist Liberal Democrats overturned a large Conservative majority, in what is considered to be one of the worst byelection results for the party in modern times. On Friday morning the party's chairman, Oliver Dowden, announced his resignation, saying the party “cannot carry on with business as usual.” He added that: “somebody must take responsibility and I have concluded that, in these circumstances, it would not be right for me to remain in office.” At the same time, the Labour Party reclaimed Wakefield in northern England from Johnson's Tories. Tories have a bad night Both contests were triggered by the resignations of Conservative lawmakers … [Read more...] about Boris Johnson suffers two special election defeats, party chairman quits

Boris Johnson: Rebels 'gunning' for PM criticised by Scully Sign up for FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info The Prime Minister is scrambling to make sense of what a double bill of by-election defeats means for his future. On top of this, Boris Johnson also has to deal with the resignation of one of his closest allies, Oliver Dowden, who at 5:35am this morning decided to leave his post as Tory party co-chair. In a letter to Mr Johnson, he wrote: "We cannot carry on with business as usual, somebody must take responsibility. Related articles Tory rebels to axe Boris with Sunak 'next to QUIT' Brexit is at risk: There is now proof of a Labour - Lib … [Read more...] about Boris Johnson ‘greased piglet’ and can ‘wriggle out’ of trouble: ‘Don’t count him out’

Brexit: Heseltine warns 'more trouble' to come for PM and UK Sign up for FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info The former deputy leader of the Conservative Party said “there is no way” the Prime Minister will change his stance on Brexit , or become any less stubborn about remaining in office, as a consequence of the two byelection losses in Wakefield, and Tiverton and Honiton. He forecasted a bleak future for the UK, suggesting Britain’s “standing in the world” would become a “major issue” as the PM loses the respect of his peers and electorate but remains intransigent in the face of calls for his resignation. Related articles Boris plots EARLY election … [Read more...] about ‘Toxic’ Brexit will cost Boris his job – Heseltine says Britain’s standing in now in ruins

Tiverton voter calls on Boris to win back his support Sign up for our news briefing, including a daily special Russia-Ukraine edition SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info The Labour leader was visiting the market town of Ossett after Simon Lightwood’s victory in the vote when the trader initially offered him an apple. Sir Keir said thank you and went to take the fruit, but when he did the man grinned and passed him a lemon instead. Related articles Lammy unveils new Labour Brexit plot to scupper Boris's deal 'Sickening' dog attack as pet mauled in broad daylight Deliveryman Paul Stoner, 60, said he asked him Sir Keir if he wanted an apple and when he said 'yes' he gave him a lemon because he thinks … [Read more...] about ‘He’s a joke!’ Starmer red-faced after Wakefield greengrocer worker brands him a LEMON

Boris Johnson rejects calls for ‘psychological transformation’ Sign up for FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info While on an official visit to Kigali, Rwanda, Boris Johnson faced a hammer blow on Friday after suffering a major defeat in the Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton by-elections, which saw opposition parties Labour and Libdem take over the two constituencies. While LibDem snatched Tiverton and Honiton, Labour took Wakefield in a blow to Boris Johnson’s standing within the Conservative Party . The byelections were seen as another test for Boris Johnson following Partygate and the disastrous local election results where the Conservative Party lost three Tory … [Read more...] about Boris Johnson says ‘I won’t have psychological transformation’ after poll hell