Sir Keir Starmer in Tamworth following 'historic' victory
Labour has gained seats in Tamworth and mid-Bedfordshire.
Last updated 20th Oct 2023
Sir Keir Starmer has paid a visit to Tamworth to congratulate party activists and newly-elected MP Sarah Edwards on overturning a Tory majority of more than 19,000.
Speaking alongside party supporters in the main stand at The Lamb, the home of Tamworth FC, the Labour leader told them: "People told me that it was not possible to win this seat and this by-election.
"You absolutely smashed it."
Sarah Edwards defeated Tory Andrew Cooper by a majority of 1,316.
Labour also won the mid-Bedfordshire seat last night.
Hailing the result in the Staffordshire seat as a piece of history, Sir Keir added: "What you have seen here replicates what's going on across the country - people are fed up to the back teeth with 13 years of decline under this government.
"They want a fresh start. They want to go forward.
"There were Tory voters yesterday who went to the ballot box to vote Labour. That is because they are fed up with the decline and despairing of the party they used to vote for."
Labour's national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden said the results overnight are "not normal" after the Tories suggested their defeats were partly down to governing parties faring poorer in by-elections.
"These were not constituencies that were even on our target list, so really big, important results, indicating change in politics," he told Sky News.
"We're absolutely delighted with our victories last night but if course conscious as well that we've still got a lot of work to do between now and a general election."
Asked about the Conservative Party's suggestion that it is normal for voters to register a protest with the Government in by-elections, he said: "These results are not normal. This was in one case the biggest Tory majority to be overturned in a by-election, beating previous records."
He added: "We still know the size of our task... and that the trust of the public is a fragile and precious thing."
The previous MP for Tamworth, Chris Pincher, resigned after being found to have drunkenly groped two men in an "egregious case of sexual misconduct" at London's exclusive Carlton Club last year - an incident which helped trigger Boris Johnson's exit from No 10 because of his handling of the situation.
The Conservatives sought to portray the by-elections as mid-term blips, exacerbated by the difficulties surrounding the previous MPs.
A Conservative spokesperson said the results are disappointing, but their party won't give up the fight. The blue party blamed the losses on low turnouts.