Rishi Sunak describes double by-election blow as "challenging"

His party lost two seats in votes overnight

Rishi picks up a zombie knife on visit to Harlow police station this morning
Author: Nina Lloyd and Chris Mckeon, PA Political Staff/Abi SimpsonPublished 16th Feb 2024
Last updated 16th Feb 2024

The Prime Minister has insisted on a visit to Essex that the circumstances surrounding the Wellingborough and Kingswood by-elections were “particularly challenging” after suffering a double defeat that Sir Keir Starmer said showed people were “crying out for change”.

The Prime Minister said “midterm elections are always difficult” for incumbent governments after Labour flipped Tory majorities in the tens of thousands overnight.

Gen Kitchen secured Wellingborough with 45.8% of the vote.

While Damien Egan won Kingswood with 44.9% of the vote.

Speaking to broadcasters on a visit to a police station in Harlow, Essex, Mr Sunak said: “Midterm elections are always difficult for incumbent governments, and the circumstances of these elections were of course particularly challenging.

“Now, I think if you look at the results, very low turnout, and it shows that we’ve got work to do to show people that we are delivering on their priorities and that’s what I’m absolutely determined to do, but also shows that there isn’t a huge amount of enthusiasm for the alternative in Keir Starmer and the Labour Party, and that’s because they don’t have a plan.

“And if you don’t have a plan, you can’t deliver real change. And when the general election comes, that’s the message I’ll be making to the country. Stick with our plan, because it is starting to deliver the change that the country wants and needs.”

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