Labour 'redrawing the political map': Starmer

Massive Conservative majorities overturned in two historic byelection victories for Labour. Double poll victory sparks comparisons with party's march to power in 1997

- Peter Walker, Sammy Gecsoyler, Kevin Rawlinson

Labour has overturned massive Conservative majorities in a history-making pair of byelections, sending the Tories deeper into infighting and acrimony over the prospect of a landslide defeat at the next general election.

With the wins in Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth prompting gleeful talk within Labour of a possible 1997-type win on the horizon, Keir Starmer's aides were quick to warn MPs and the party more widely against complacency.

Making celebratory visits to both. seats, Starmer said Labour was "redrawing the political map" with victories in both constituencies coming thanks to massive swings from the Conservatives.

The 23.9-percentage-point switch in Tamworth brought the second biggest Tory to Labour shift since 1945, while the Conservatives' Bedfordshire 24,664 was the majority in Mid biggest margin to be hauled back in any recorded UK byelection.

While the Labour majorities were relatively small, both little over 1,000 and delivered as much as anything by Conservative voters staying at home, a double win that exceeded many prevote predictions sparked inevitable comparisons to the party's march towards victory in the run-up to 1997.

One senior Labour source said it was "important that people keep their feet on the ground" and not assume all such Tory strongholds were there for the taking in a general election.