Polls in Wakefield, Tiverton, and Honiton, were the first since the prime minister narrowly survived a confidence vote this month. The United Kingdom’s Conservative Party has been defeated in two by-elections, with losses that dealt a blow to the leadership of embattled Prime Minister Boris Johnson and prompted the party’s chairman to resign.
Thursday’s polls in the West Yorkshire seat of Wakefield and the South West seat of Tiverton and Honiton were the first since Johnson narrowly survived a confidence vote this month, in which 41 percent of his parliamentary colleagues voted to remove him.
The Conservatives lost a majority of more than 24,000 votes in Tiverton and Honiton, in a highly conservative part of south-west England, defeated by the centrist Liberal Democrats, who gained a majority of more than 6,000. Meanwhile, the main opposition Labor party recaptured Wakefield in northern England.
The losses suggest that the electoral coalition that Johnson has assembled in the 2019 national election may break, as jitters mount among unruly conservatives who are already concerned that the lavish but erratic and divisive Johnson is no longer an electoral asset.
Johnson has come under intense pressure to resign after he was fined for violating the COVID-19 lockdown rules following a police investigation into gatherings at his Downing Street offices.
After the losses at Tiverton and Honiton, and Wakefield, Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden resigned, saying things had to change in the party. The matches were sparked by the high-profile resignations of conservative politicians – one who admitted to having watched pornography in parliament and another who was found guilty of sexually abusing a teenage boy.
“Yesterday’s parliamentary by-elections are the latest in a series of very poor results for our party. Our supporters are saddened and disappointed by the recent events, and I share their feelings,” Dowden said in a resignation letter to Johnson.
“We cannot continue with business as usual. Someone has to take responsibility, and I have concluded that under these circumstances, it would not be right for me to remain in office.”
While he cannot be challenged with a no-confidence vote for another year under his party’s rules, MPs fearing for their future may decide to shorten the grace period to secure another vote.
On Friday, Johnson said he would listen to voters, especially about the difficulties people face over the cost of living, but promised to “keep going”.
Wakefield’s by-election winner, Labor candidate Simon Lightwood [Phil Noble/Reuters]
The Liberals said their victory in Tiverton and Honiton was the largest-ever majority destroyed in a British parliamentary by-election, suggesting other Conservative politicians risk losing their seats in the southern heart of the party.
In his victory speech, winning candidate Richard Foord said that Johnson should “go, and go now”.
“Every day Boris Johnson clings to office brings more shame, chaos, and neglect,” he said.
Johnson on Thursday rejected the suggestion that he could resign if the Conservatives lose both seats, saying it was common for ruling parties to lose midterm elections.
Meanwhile, Labor leader Keir Starmer said in a statement that the result in Wakefield was “a clear judgment of a Conservative party that has run out of energy and ideas”.
“Wakefield has shown that the country has lost faith in the Tories,” he said, referring to the Conservative Party.
Johnson led the Conservatives to their biggest majority in three decades in the 2019 national elections, receiving praise from his party for his ability to win in traditionally Labor voting areas in northern and central England.
However, Wakefield’s loss could indicate that his ability to win again in these areas in the next national election, expected in 2024, has also been jeopardized.
