Labour opposition deals another historic blow to UK PM Rishi Sunak with by-election defeats

LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's ruling Conservative Party suffered another double by-election defeat on Thursday, as the opposition Labour Party's momentum shows no sign of slowing.

In Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, Labour produced a 28.5% vote swing, according to House of Commons data — marking the party's second-largest since 1945 — to win 45.9% of the vote. This compared to a 24.6% result for the Conservatives.

The by-election was called after veteran Conservative MP Peter Bone, who was re-elected with a majority of 18,000 in 2019, was removed from parliament due to allegations of serial bullying and sexually inappropriate behaviour. He denied the claims.

The Conservative candidate was Bone's partner, Helen Harrison.

Labour will now hold the seat for the first time since 2001. Winning candidate Gen Kitchen said the result was a "stunning victory for the Labour Party and must send a message from Northamptonshire to Downing Street."

The other by-election was held in Kingswood, South Gloucestershire, where Labour overturned a Conservative majority of 11,220 to win with a 16.4% vote swing.

The seat was vacated when former Conservative MP Chris Skidmore resigned in January in protest over the Conservative Party's plan to issue new oil and gas licences in the North Sea.

The constituency's new Labour MP Damien Egan said that there was still "so much to do" and vowed to "work to give Kingswood its future back."

The double defeat of Thursday was the latest in a string of unfavorable by-election results for the ruling party in what were previously considered safe seats.

In October, Labour overturned huge Conservative majorities to win concurrent by-elections in Mid Bedfordshire in southern England and Tamworth in the West