London, UK: British Prime Minister Mr. Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party has lost two safe parliamentary seats in the by-election.
The Labour Party, leaning towards the center-left, comfortably secured victory in the two by-elections in central England held on October 19, 2023. This result raises concerns for the Conservatives’ chances in the upcoming national elections scheduled for next year.
Mr. Alistair Strathern and Ms. Sarah Edwards from the Labour Party have won the Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth seats, overturning significant Tory majorities of nearly 25,000 and 20,000, respectively.
The Conservative party had been in control of Mid Bedfordshire since 1931 and Tamworth since 1996.
For over a year, Labour has maintained a substantial lead in the polls over the Conservatives. This is due to voter frustration with high inflation, a struggling economy, and lengthy wait times for the state-run health service, as per the statement.
As support in the polls wanes, Mr. Sunak has made significant policy changes. These include discontinuing a portion of an expensive high-speed rail project and reducing measures designed to assist the UK in reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.
Despite the policy announcements, the Conservatives’ position in the polls hasn’t seen significant improvement, though Mr. Sunak’s personal approval ratings reportedly have slightly gone up.
In their over 13 years in power, the Conservatives have run the UK through some of its most momentous events in decades, such as Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr. Sunak, the fifth Tory leader since 2010, was not in the UK to witness the by-election results. The PM had traveled to Israel to express support for the country during its conflict with the armed Palestinian group, Hamas.
RECOMMENDED | UK approves Microsoft’s deal to buy Call of Duty maker Activision
