Labour win Mid Bedfordshire from Tories in by-election, overturning huge majority in seat held by Tories since 1931

20 October 2023, 03:18 | Updated: 20 October 2023, 03:41

Labour have won the parliamentary seat of Mid Bedfordshire in a seismic by-election result, overturning a Conservative majority of nearly 25,000.

Labour's Alistair Strathern won the by-election on Friday night, which was triggered by the resignation of former Conservative Cabinet minister Nadine Dorries.

Labour won 13,872 votes, compared to the Conservatives' 12,680 votes. The Liberal Democrats won 9,420 votes. The turnout was 44%.

This was a major swing to Labour from the Conservatives. Mid Bedfordshire had been a Tory seat since 1931 and Ms Dorries had had a majority of 24,664 votes.

Mr Strathern said: "After decades of being taken for granted, feeling left behind, feeling under-represented, they made the decision it was time for a change."

Ms Dorries, a former Cabinet minister under Boris Johnson, stepped down as an MP after being denied a peerage in Boris Johnson's resignation honours list.

The Mid Bedfordshire by-election came on the same night as Labour won a vote to replace the Conservative Chris Pincher as the MP for Tamworth.

Sir Keir Starmer said: “These are phenomenal results that show Labour is back in the service of working people and redrawing the political map.

“Winning in these Tory strongholds shows that people overwhelmingly want change and they’re ready to put their faith in our changed Labour Party to deliver it.

“Voters across Mid Bedfordshire, Tamworth and Britain want a Labour government determined to deliver for working people, with a proper plan to rebuild our country.

“To those who have given us their trust, and those considering doing so, Labour will spend every day acting in your interests and focused on your priorities. Labour will give Britain its future back.”