Sunak defended after by-election defeats set against ‘difficult backdrop’

Losses in Wellingborough and Kingswood combine with emboldened Reform UK party to deal blow to PM

A Conservative minister has defended Rishi Sunak and the party after two by-election defeats, saying they were set against a “very difficult backdrop”.

The losses to Labour in Wellingborough and Kingswood, as well as increased support for the emboldened Reform UK party, were the latest blow to the Prime Minister.

The Conservative Government has endured more by-election losses than any administration since the 1960s, surpassing the eight defeats suffered by John Major in the run-up to Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide victory.

Illegal immigration minister Michael Tomlinson speaking to the media outside BBC Broadcasting House in London, after appearing on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. Photo: Victoria Jones/PA Wire

However, Tory illegal migration minister Michael Tomlinson told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “There’s no doubt that these by-elections were set against a very difficult backdrop.

“I was in Kingswood myself a few weeks ago, I saw the excellent candidate in the campaign on the ground.

“But actually if you look at it, if you look at for example, Reform’s vote, which people have been talking about this week, what comes across to me is it’s very clear that a vote for Reform is actually a vote to let Labour in.”

Speaking to the Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme on Sky News, Mr Tomlinson said he did not recognise the idea many MPs privately want Mr Sunak to go.

The Prime Minister, who had sought to play down the losses as “difficult” mid-term elections, on Friday night called on right-wing and Conservative voters to unite to keep Sir Keir Starmer out of Number 10.

The Wellingborough by-election was triggered by the six-week Commons suspension of former Tory MP Peter Bone after an inquiry found he had subjected a staff member to bullying and sexual misconduct.

Meanwhile, the Kingswood vote came after former Conservative MP Chris Skidmore resigned in protest against Government legislation to boost North Sea oil and gas drilling.

The Conservatives highlighted the low turnout in both contests, which stood at just 37 per cent in Kingswood and 38 per cent in Wellingborough.

But Labour overturned majorities of 11,220 and 18,540 respectively, delivering the Government’s ninth and 10th by-election defeats of the current Parliament and securing its second-largest swing from the Tories ever.

Gen Kitchen secured Wellingborough with 45.8 per cent of the vote, while Damien Egan won Kingswood with 44.9 per cent of the vote.

Both contests were seen largely as two-horse races between Labour and the Tories, though the Conservatives also faced the threat of strengthening support for Reform UK.

Richard Tice’s party scored more than 10 per cent of the vote for the first time in a by-election, with deputy leader Ben Habib winning 13 per cent in the heavily pro-Leave constituency of Wellingborough.

Rupert Lowe, its candidate in Kingswood, won 10 per cent.

Meanwhile, one candidate and former MP warned trouble may be ahead as the final full week of campaigning in the Rochdale by-election begins.

Simon Danczuk, the ex-Labour MP for Rochdale - now standing as the Reform Party candidate, says he has found the atmosphere has changed.

"I've been out of politics for five years or so and I've come back in and - is the word febrile?" he said.

"It feels really different, more aggressive, as though there could be more violence around the election than you would've anticipated five years ago."