Labour at double as spectre of Reform looms over PM

Right-wingers steal 13 per cent of vote in one seat on terrible Tory night

- Nicholas Cecil, Jitendra Joshi

RISHI SUNAK was left reeling by two by-election hammer blows made even more devastating for the Tories by Reform UK seizing its biggest ever chunk of the vote.

In a nightmare end to the week for the Prime Minister, the Tories were ousted by Labour in Kingswood, south Gloucestershire, and Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, the day after Britain was confirmed to be in recession.

Sir John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, said it had been a “terrible” night for the Conservatives. He told The Standard: “The results confirm they are still in deep electoral trouble and time to restore their fortunes is beginning to run out.”

Most worrying for the Conservatives will be Reform UK grabbing 13 per cent of the vote in Wellingborough and 10 per cent in Kingswood, and the prospect of the party being given rocket boosters if Nigel Farage takes over at its helm.

The results immediately sparked speculation that Mr Sunak could face fresh calls from Tory MPs to stand down as they showed the party failing to make progress to close the large gap behind Labour. Hailing the two victories, Sir Keir Starmer told BBC Breakfast: “I think there is a message now from these by-elections... I think the country is crying out for change. Everybody knows that. Things aren’t working. Their NHS isn’t working. They’ve got a cost-of-living crisis. I think they’ve concluded that the Tories have failed after 14 years.”