Tories in trouble as Labour wins by-election and takes 'home of British Army' while Reform sees surge in votes across UK
3 May 2024, 05:51 | Updated: 3 May 2024, 06:55
The Conservative party are facing troubling results from the local elections, after Labour won a by-election in Blackpool and gained the 'home of the British Army' while Reform saw a surge in votes across the UK.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
Labour swept to victory in the Blackpool South by-election, securing a majority of 7,607.
It was the third biggest swing from the Conservatives to Labour at a by-election since the Second World War.
The party also took Rushmoor - known as "the home of the British Army" - despite it being run by the Tories for the past 24 years.
A Labour Party spokeswoman said: "This is a truly historic result. Rushmoor - the home of the British Army - has never had a majority Labour council before and has been run by the Tories for the last 24 years.
"This result demonstrates just how much the Labour Party has changed and people in Rushmoor know that only Labour can deliver the change they want to see.
"A Labour gain for Rushmoor is a result Rishi Sunak cannot ignore. It's time for a general election."
The Tories are seeing growing pressure from Reform UK too, which was only 117 votes behind in the by-election.
It adds to Tory unease about Mr Sunak's ability to lead the party to a general election victory.
Reform UK's leader Richard Tice said his party had "rapidly become the real opposition to Labour, whether it's in the North, the Midlands, we know it's the case in Wales".
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the Blackpool win was "the most important result today".
"This is the one contest where voters had the chance to send a message to Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives directly, and that message is an overwhelming vote for change," he said.
"The swing towards the Labour Party in Blackpool South is truly historic and shows that we are firmly back in the service of working people.
"I am so proud of the positive campaign we ran. To those who have put their trust in us in Blackpool, and those considering giving Labour their vote, we are ready to serve your interests.
"Our new Labour MP Chris Webb has shown that after years of neglect with the Tories, there is a better alternative. The message to Rishi Sunak is clear. It’s time for change, it’s time for a general election."
Elections expert Professor Sir John Curtice said: "The only thing that's stopped this result from being basically an unmitigated disaster for the Conservatives was the fact they just narrowly squeaked ahead of Reform."
He added: "Basically the project that Rishi Sunak is meant to be there to achieve, which is to narrow the gap on Labour, that project still has yet to provide any visible benefit."
