Tories lose Wellingborough by-election as Labour pulls off stunning victory

16 February 2024 , 04:04

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Voters elected Gen Kitchen as the first Labour MP to represent the area in nearly 20 years (Image: Getty Images)

Rishi Sunak has failed a major test as Labour pulled off a stunning victory with a record swing at a by-election in the former Tory safe seat of Wellingborough.

Voters elected charity worker Gen Kitchen as the first Labour MP to represent the area in nearly 20 years as the party scooped the seat with 13,834 votes. The result represents a seismic swing to Labour of 28.5% - the second biggest swing from Tory to Labour at a by-election since the Second World War.

The Tories previously won the Northamptonshire seat at every general from 2005 and last emerged with a massive 18,540 vote majority at the 2019 general election.

The defeat in the early hours of Friday morning is likely to pile immense pressure on Mr Sunak with the Tories already facing the prospect of a general election wipeout. It came just hours after the Tory majority was also wiped away in a second by-election in Kingswood with Labour securing a 16.4% swing.

In her victory speech Ms Kitchen said: The people of Wellingborough have spoken for Britain. This is a stunning victory for the Labour Party and must send a message from Northamptonshire to Downing Street."

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Keir Starmer said the results of Thursday's by-elections showed the public "want change". The Labour leader said: "These are fantastic results in Kingswood and Wellingborough that show people want change and are ready to put their faith in a changed Labour Party to deliver it.

"By winning in these Tory strongholds, we can confidently say that Labour is back in the service of working people and we will work tirelessly to deliver for them. The Tories have failed. Rishi's recession proves that. That's why we've seen so many former Conservative voters switching directly to this changed Labour Party.

"Those who gave us their trust in Kingswood and Wellingborough, and those considering doing so, can be safe in the knowledge that we will spend every day working to get Britain's future back."

The vote in Wellingborough was triggered after the disgraced ex-Tory MP Peter Bone was ousted by his own constituents at a recall petition. It followed his six week suspension from the Commons after he was found to have subjected a staff member to bullying and sexual misconduct.

Parliament's Independent Expert Panel (IEP) found Mr Bone had exposed his genitals to the aide in a hotel room during a work trip to Madrid. The ex-MP has denied the allegations.

But in a move that prompted outrage, the Tories selected Mr Bone's partner and Tory councillor Helen Harrison to defend the seat for the party. It was reported in November that Mr Bone was threatening to run as an independent, unless his girlfriend was added to the shortlist of candidates.

During the campaign Ms Harrison also said she was "proud" to have her lover campaigning alongside her in the by-election and did not believe the IEP's report findings. There was speculation Mr Bone was planning to attend the count with his girlfriend in the early hours of Friday morning.

Ashley Cowburn