Sabtu, 22 Juli 2023

Newspaper headlines: By-election fallout and Lionesses roaring to go - BBC

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Guardian 22/07/23
FT - 22/07/23
Telegraph 22/07/2023
Daily Express 22/07/23
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Daily Mail 22/07/23
Sun 22/07/23
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Mirror 22/07/23
Daily Star 22/07/23
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The Daily Telegraph says a number of unnamed cabinet ministers now want Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to consider abandoning green policies in the wake of the Tories' "shock" by-election win in Uxbridge.

The Conservatives held on to ex-PM Boris Johnson's former seat amid anger at plans by the Labour mayor of London to expand charges for polluting cars - a scheme the paper calls "arrogant".

It says Tory MPs looking for a path to victory at the next general election are now examining what it calls green "wedge issues", which they can campaign on to coax voters away from Labour. They are said to be encouraging Mr Sunak to scrap or delay net zero schemes in time for the next election manifesto.

Uxbridge by-election counting
PA Media

Likewise, the Financial Times suggests that Uxbridge has persuaded some Conservative MPs to argue that Mr Sunak should now exploit voter concerns about the cost of green measures at a national level.

Craig Mackinlay, chair of the net zero scrutiny group of Tory MPs, said that "rethinking the net zero pathway" could put clear water between the Conservatives and Labour.

But in its editorial, the paper cautions the prime minister against obeying the "siren voices" urging him to swerve to what it calls the right-wing populism of abandoning green policies, and bringing in unaffordable tax cuts.

The Times suggests that the Uxbridge by-election win has buoyed the prime minister as he plans a series of "divisive policies" on crime, migration and transgender rights to highlight differences with Labour.

The paper says he believes that if a substantive issue is at stake - as was the case in Uxbridge - the Tories can win. It said they had effectively turned the by-election into a referendum on mayor Sadiq Khan's ultra-low emission zone plans.

For the Daily Mail and the Daily Express, the focus is on Rishi Sunak's pledge to double down on his plans.

Go True Blue is the Mail's headline, saying senior Tories want the prime minister to cut taxes and concentrate on house-building to lure voters back. The Express quotes Mr Sunak as saying the next general election is not a done deal. He said voters would back the Conservatives when confronted with the reality of Labour policies.

The Guardian, though, says the chances of the Tories succeeding at the next general election look increasingly slim, after suffering what it called "shattering defeats" in both the North Yorkshire and Somerset by-elections.

It claims those results underline the extent to which the national mood has turned against Mr Sunak's party.

There is no by-election coverage on the front of the Sun. Instead, Hell Hol! is the headline, over a picture of a congested motorway.

It says the British summer getaway ground to a halt yesterday because of delays via land, sea and air. There is worse to come, it warns.

For the Daily Mirror, it is all eyes on Brisbane, Australia, where the England women's football team - the Lionesses - kick off their World Cup campaign against Haiti in a few hours time.

Roar Us On it says simply, over a huge picture of the team captain, Millie Bright.

And the front pages of the Times,Express and Daily Mail all carry a picture of Prince George, posing for a photo-shoot at Windsor. He turns 10 today.

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2023-07-22 05:13:27Z
2249345679

Jumat, 21 Juli 2023

By election live: Ulez blamed for Tory win in Uxbridge as Sunak loses two seats - The Independent

By-elections: Rishi Sunak says next election is not a done deal

Rishi Sunak has held on to Boris Johnson’s former seat in Uxbridge- a win widely seen as a result of Ulez - despite suffering two painful by-election blows.

The race in the former PM’s constituency went down to the wire as a recount in the small hours of Friday – but it was Mr Sunak’s party who clung on, saving him from a “disastrous” triple by-election defeat in something of an embarrassment for Sir Keir Starmer.

Angela Rayner suggested Labour did not win in Uxbridge and South Ruislip because it did not “listen to the voters”’ concerns about Ulez.

“I think one of the things we have to reflect on today is not only the mood against the Tories, but also the decision in Uxbridge was related to Ulez.

“The Uxbridge result shows that when you don’t listen to the voters, you don’t win elections.”

Labour overturned the Tories’ 20,000 majority in Selby and Ainsty in the largest swing since months prior to Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide.

In Somerton and Frome, the Lib Dems also overturned the Tories’ 19,000 majority, winning by 11,000 votes.

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Steve Tuckwell ‘privileged and humbled’ by Uxbridge win

Tory Steve Tuckwell said: “I’m incredibly privileged and humbled to have been elected as the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

“It’s the place where I was born, the place where I was raised, the place where I have a family and it’s the place where I’ve spent all 54 years of my existence.”

He said prime minister Rishi Sunak congratulated him and “was just sharing the celebration of a great success” during his visit to the west London seat.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 09:27
1689927073

Voters ‘don’t like Labour being in power’, claims Tory chair

Tory chairman Greg Hands said the party’s win in Uxbridge “surprised everybody” and said the result shows “the electorate don’t like Labour being in power and running things badly”.

“I think the most important takeaway from this is that the electorate don’t like Labour being in power and running things badly,” he told Times Radio.

Mr Hands told Radio 4’s Today programme that Labour’s struggle with Ulez showed they had failed to “go with the grain of human nature”.

The Tory chair insisted that the Tories were not opposed to what David Cameron used to “green crap”, but he refused to say whether it was an opportunity for the party to change tack on the environment and green taxes.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 09:11
1689925953

In pictures: Tories win by election in Uxbridge and South Ruislip

The race in Boris Johnson’s former constituency went down to the wire as a recount in the small hours of Friday – but it was Rishi Sunak’s party who clung on as Steve Tuckwell took the win.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 08:52
1689925507

Rishi Sunak and Steve Tuckwell thank Tory campaigners on Uxbridge victory visit

Rishi Sunak and the victorious Tory candidate Steve Tuckwell arrived at a cafe in Uxbridge and South Ruislip to loud clapping and cheering.

The prime minister chatted to people sitting at the tables, celebrating the result which saw Mr Tuckwell hold on with a majority of just 495, down from the 7,210 Boris Johnson secured in 2019.

“Are you all pumped?” Mr Sunak said to one group as he thanked Tory campaigners.

He also joked: “Normally when I get woken up at three in the morning it’s only bad news. So, it was a welcome change.”

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 08:45
1689924907

Watch: Keir Mather, UK’s youngest MP, says Labour has ‘rewritten the rules’

Keir Mather, UK's youngest MP, says Labour has ‘rewritten the rules’
Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 08:35
1689924427

Labour blames Sadiq Khan’s Ulez for Uxbridge by-election flop

Deputy leader Angela Rayner admitted that Labour flopped in the north-west London constituency did not win did not “listen to the voters” concerns about Ulez.

Despite overturning a 20,000 Tory majority to take the North Yorkshire seat of Selby, a downbeat Ms Rayner said: “We’ve got to keep our feet on the ground … Uxbridge wasn’t the result, we narrowly lost again in that seat.”

Our political correspondent Adam Forrest reports:

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 08:27
1689923827

Watch: Tory minister mocks 25-year-old Keir Mathers as Labour’s ‘Inbetweeners’ MP

Tory minister mocks 25-year-old Keir Mathers as Labour’s ‘Inbetweeners’ MP
Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 08:17
1689923248

Sunak congratulates Steve Tuckwell on Uxbridge win

Rishi Sunak congratulated Steve Tuckwell on his “much deserved result” to win in Uxbridge in South Ruislip.

The prime minister tweeted: “Congratulations Steve, a much deserved result after a great campaign.

“I look forward to welcoming you in Westminster as our new Conservative MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip!”

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 08:07
1689922130

Tory chairman accuses Starmer of ‘flip-flopping’ on Ulez

Tory chairman Greg Hands has accused Sir Keir Starmer of “flip flopping” on Ulez.

“There’ll be real questions in Labour headquarters today about not gaining Uxbridge,” the Tory chairman told GB News.

“Londoners see that Labour is not good at running things and they see that Keir Starmer is changing his views all the time depending on the audience that he has in front of him.

“In inner London he’s pro-Ulez, put him in outer London he’s suddenly expressing his doubts about Ulez.”

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 07:48
1689921859

Polling expert says Tories are in ‘deep electoral trouble'

Polling expert Professor Sir John Curtice has said the Tories are in “deep electoral trouble” following their by-election defeats.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Taken in the round, these by-election results do suggest that the Conservatives remain in deep electoral trouble, as the opinion polls have been telling us.”

Across the three seats contested, the Conservative vote was down 21 percentage points which is comparable to the national polling, he said.

He said Labour must ask why its hold on the electorate is “apparently so weak” that when a local issue like the Ulez ultra low emission zone in Uxbridge comes up they “don’t perform as they should”.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 07:44

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2023-07-21 08:11:33Z
2249345679

By election live: Ulez blamed for Tory win in Uxbridge as Sunak loses two seats - The Independent

Keir Mather, UK’s youngest MP, says Labour has ‘rewritten the rules’

Rishi Sunak has held on to Boris Johnson’s former seat in Uxbridge- a win widely seen as a result of Ulez - despite suffering two painful by-election blows.

The race in the former PM’s constituency went down to the wire as a recount in the small hours of Friday – but it was Mr Sunak’s party who clung on, saving him from a “disastrous” triple by-election defeat in something of an embarrassment for Sir Keir Starmer.

Angela Rayner suggested Labour did not win in Uxbridge and South Ruislip because it did not “listen to the voters”’ concerns about Ulez.

“I think one of the things we have to reflect on today is not only the mood against the Tories, but also the decision in Uxbridge was related to Ulez.

“The Uxbridge result shows that when you don’t listen to the voters, you don’t win elections.”

Labour overturned the Tories’ 20,000 majority in Selby and Ainsty in the largest swing since months prior to Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide.

In Somerton and Frome, the Lib Dems also overturned the Tories’ 19,000 majority, winning by 11,000 votes.

1689925953

In pictures: Tories win by election in Uxbridge and South Ruislip

The race in Boris Johnson’s former constituency went down to the wire as a recount in the small hours of Friday – but it was Rishi Sunak’s party who clung on as Steve Tuckwell took the win.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 08:52
1689925507

Rishi Sunak and Steve Tuckwell thank Tory campaigners on Uxbridge victory visit

Rishi Sunak and the victorious Tory candidate Steve Tuckwell arrived at a cafe in Uxbridge and South Ruislip to loud clapping and cheering.

The prime minister chatted to people sitting at the tables, celebrating the result which saw Mr Tuckwell hold on with a majority of just 495, down from the 7,210 Boris Johnson secured in 2019.

“Are you all pumped?” Mr Sunak said to one group as he thanked Tory campaigners.

He also joked: “Normally when I get woken up at three in the morning it’s only bad news. So, it was a welcome change.”

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 08:45
1689924907

Watch: Keir Mather, UK’s youngest MP, says Labour has ‘rewritten the rules’

Keir Mather, UK's youngest MP, says Labour has ‘rewritten the rules’
Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 08:35
1689924427

Labour blames Sadiq Khan’s Ulez for Uxbridge by-election flop

Deputy leader Angela Rayner admitted that Labour flopped in the north-west London constituency did not win did not “listen to the voters” concerns about Ulez.

Despite overturning a 20,000 Tory majority to take the North Yorkshire seat of Selby, a downbeat Ms Rayner said: “We’ve got to keep our feet on the ground … Uxbridge wasn’t the result, we narrowly lost again in that seat.”

Our political correspondent Adam Forrest reports:

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 08:27
1689923827

Watch: Tory minister mocks 25-year-old Keir Mathers as Labour’s ‘Inbetweeners’ MP

Tory minister mocks 25-year-old Keir Mathers as Labour’s ‘Inbetweeners’ MP
Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 08:17
1689923248

Sunak congratulates Steve Tuckwell on Uxbridge win

Rishi Sunak congratulated Steve Tuckwell on his “much deserved result” to win in Uxbridge in South Ruislip.

The prime minister tweeted: “Congratulations Steve, a much deserved result after a great campaign.

“I look forward to welcoming you in Westminster as our new Conservative MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip!”

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 08:07
1689922130

Tory chairman accuses Starmer of ‘flip-flopping’ on Ulez

Tory chairman Greg Hands has accused Sir Keir Starmer of “flip flopping” on Ulez.

“There’ll be real questions in Labour headquarters today about not gaining Uxbridge,” the Tory chairman told GB News.

“Londoners see that Labour is not good at running things and they see that Keir Starmer is changing his views all the time depending on the audience that he has in front of him.

“In inner London he’s pro-Ulez, put him in outer London he’s suddenly expressing his doubts about Ulez.”

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 07:48
1689921859

Polling expert says Tories are in ‘deep electoral trouble'

Polling expert Professor Sir John Curtice has said the Tories are in “deep electoral trouble” following their by-election defeats.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Taken in the round, these by-election results do suggest that the Conservatives remain in deep electoral trouble, as the opinion polls have been telling us.”

Across the three seats contested, the Conservative vote was down 21 percentage points which is comparable to the national polling, he said.

He said Labour must ask why its hold on the electorate is “apparently so weak” that when a local issue like the Ulez ultra low emission zone in Uxbridge comes up they “don’t perform as they should”.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 07:44
1689921247

Angela Rayner blames Labour loss in Uxbridge on ULEZ

Angela Rayner has suggested Labour did not win Boris Johnson’s former seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip because it did not “listen to the voters”’ concerns about Ulez.

Asked about her mood, Labour’s deputy party leader told BBC Breakfast: “Well, it’s one of reflection.

“I mean, congratulations to Keir Mather in Selby because it was a historic win, but we’ve got to keep our feet on the ground and, of course, Uxbridge wasn’t the result, we narrowly lost again in that seat.

“I think one of the things we have to reflect on today is not only the mood against the Tories, but also the decision in Uxbridge was related to Ulez.

“The Uxbridge result shows that when you don’t listen to the voters, you don’t win elections.”

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 07:34
1689920648

Tories still in deep ‘electoral trouble’ despite Uxbridge win, says John Curtice

Prof Curtice said the overwhelming defeats to Labour in Selby and the Liberal Democrats in Somerton and Frome were a “better guide” for the mood in the country.

“Although Uxbridge will provide Rishi Sunak with some immediate cover, maybe in the end the message from these by-elections is that the Conservatives are indeed in considerable electoral trouble along the lines that the polls are suggesting,” he said.

Labour overturning a 20,000 majority to win Selby and Ainsty – a record win for the party – while the Lib Dems transformed a 19,000 Tory majority in Somerton and Frome into a 11,00-vote cushion.

Adam Forrest reports:

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 07:24

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2023-07-21 07:52:33Z
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By election live: Ulez blamed for Tory win in Uxbridge as Sunak loses two seats - The Independent

Keir Mather, UK’s youngest MP, says Labour has ‘rewritten the rules’

Rishi Sunak has held on to Boris Johnson’s former seat in Uxbridge- a win widely seen as a result of Ulez - despite suffering two painful by-election blows.

The race in the former PM’s constituency went down to the wire as a recount in the small hours of Friday – but it was Mr Sunak’s party who clung on, saving him from a “disastrous” triple by-election defeat in something of an embarrassment for Sir Keir Starmer.

Angela Rayner suggested Labour did not win in Uxbridge and South Ruislip because it did not “listen to the voters”’ concerns about Ulez.

“I think one of the things we have to reflect on today is not only the mood against the Tories, but also the decision in Uxbridge was related to Ulez.

“The Uxbridge result shows that when you don’t listen to the voters, you don’t win elections.”

Labour overturned the Tories’ 20,000 majority in Selby and Ainsty in the largest swing since months prior to Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide.

In Somerton and Frome, the Lib Dems also overturned the Tories’ 19,000 majority, winning by 11,000 votes.

1689924427

Labour blames Sadiq Khan’s Ulez for Uxbridge by-election flop

Deputy leader Angela Rayner admitted that Labour flopped in the north-west London constituency did not win did not “listen to the voters” concerns about Ulez.

Despite overturning a 20,000 Tory majority to take the North Yorkshire seat of Selby, a downbeat Ms Rayner said: “We’ve got to keep our feet on the ground … Uxbridge wasn’t the result, we narrowly lost again in that seat.”

Our political correspondent Adam Forrest reports:

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 08:27
1689923827

Watch: Tory minister mocks 25-year-old Keir Mathers as Labour’s ‘Inbetweeners’ MP

Tory minister mocks 25-year-old Keir Mathers as Labour’s ‘Inbetweeners’ MP
Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 08:17
1689923248

Sunak congratulates Steve Tuckwell on Uxbridge win

Rishi Sunak congratulated Steve Tuckwell on his “much deserved result” to win in Uxbridge in South Ruislip.

The prime minister tweeted: “Congratulations Steve, a much deserved result after a great campaign.

“I look forward to welcoming you in Westminster as our new Conservative MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip!”

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 08:07
1689922130

Tory chairman accuses Starmer of ‘flip-flopping’ on Ulez

Tory chairman Greg Hands has accused Sir Keir Starmer of “flip flopping” on Ulez.

“There’ll be real questions in Labour headquarters today about not gaining Uxbridge,” the Tory chairman told GB News.

“Londoners see that Labour is not good at running things and they see that Keir Starmer is changing his views all the time depending on the audience that he has in front of him.

“In inner London he’s pro-Ulez, put him in outer London he’s suddenly expressing his doubts about Ulez.”

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 07:48
1689921859

Polling expert says Tories are in ‘deep electoral trouble'

Polling expert Professor Sir John Curtice has said the Tories are in “deep electoral trouble” following their by-election defeats.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Taken in the round, these by-election results do suggest that the Conservatives remain in deep electoral trouble, as the opinion polls have been telling us.”

Across the three seats contested, the Conservative vote was down 21 percentage points which is comparable to the national polling, he said.

He said Labour must ask why its hold on the electorate is “apparently so weak” that when a local issue like the Ulez ultra low emission zone in Uxbridge comes up they “don’t perform as they should”.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 07:44
1689921247

Angela Rayner blames Labour loss in Uxbridge on ULEZ

Angela Rayner has suggested Labour did not win Boris Johnson’s former seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip because it did not “listen to the voters”’ concerns about Ulez.

Asked about her mood, Labour’s deputy party leader told BBC Breakfast: “Well, it’s one of reflection.

“I mean, congratulations to Keir Mather in Selby because it was a historic win, but we’ve got to keep our feet on the ground and, of course, Uxbridge wasn’t the result, we narrowly lost again in that seat.

“I think one of the things we have to reflect on today is not only the mood against the Tories, but also the decision in Uxbridge was related to Ulez.

“The Uxbridge result shows that when you don’t listen to the voters, you don’t win elections.”

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 07:34
1689920648

Tories still in deep ‘electoral trouble’ despite Uxbridge win, says John Curtice

Prof Curtice said the overwhelming defeats to Labour in Selby and the Liberal Democrats in Somerton and Frome were a “better guide” for the mood in the country.

“Although Uxbridge will provide Rishi Sunak with some immediate cover, maybe in the end the message from these by-elections is that the Conservatives are indeed in considerable electoral trouble along the lines that the polls are suggesting,” he said.

Labour overturning a 20,000 majority to win Selby and Ainsty – a record win for the party – while the Lib Dems transformed a 19,000 Tory majority in Somerton and Frome into a 11,00-vote cushion.

Adam Forrest reports:

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 07:24
1689920133

Boris Johnson piles pressure on Rishi Sunak after Tories keep his old seat

Boris Johnson has piled pressure on Rishi Sunak saying the result in his old seat - the only one the Tories took overnight- “shows the Conservatives can win in London and around the country”.

The former prime minister, whose decision to quit as an MP sparked a series of events that led to last night’s double defeat for his party, tweeted: “Fantastic news from Uxbridge. Well done @tuckwell_steve and the amazing Conservative council and association members.

“This shows the Conservatives can win in London and around the country.”

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 07:15
1689919533

Sadiq Khan acknowledges ULEZ role in Labour’s Uxbridge loss

Sadiq Khan has acknowledged the role his Ulez expansion played in the Uxbridge result.

A source close to the London mayor said: “Sadiq has always been clear that expanding the ULEZ was a really difficult decision, but necessary to save the lives of young and vulnerable Londoners.

“Winning Uxbridge and South Ruislip was always going to be a struggle for Labour. Labour hasn’t won this seat for five decades and Tony Blair didn’t even win it during the 1997 landslide.”

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 07:05
1689919113

Starmer congratulates Mather’s for Selby and Ainsty win

Sir Keir Starmer said 25-year-old Keir Mather’s victory in Selby and Ainsty demonstrates the “demand for change”.

The Labour leader tweeted: “Congratulations Mather-Keir, Labour’s new MP for Selby and Ainsty!

“Last night, Selby and Ainsty made history. This incredible result shows how powerful the demand for change is.

“Only Labour can deliver that change, and build a better Britain.”

Maryam Zakir-Hussain21 July 2023 06:58

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2023-07-21 07:22:46Z
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UK byelection results: Labour routs Tories in Selby and Ainsty but falls short in Uxbridge - The Guardian

The Labour party has won its biggest ever byelection victory by overturning a 20,000-vote Conservative majority in Selby and Ainsty, sending a 25-year-old to parliament.

But Keir Starmer’s party failed to win Uxbridge and South Ruislip, Boris Johnson’s old constituency. The Conservatives held on to the outer London seat with a majority of 495, the only bit of good news in an otherwise miserable night for Rishi Sunak.

The Liberal Democrats romped to victory in Somerton and Frome, in a contest triggered by the resignation of scandal-hit David Warburton. Sarah Dyke, the cabinet member for the environment on South Somerset district council, won with a majority of 11,008 over the Conservatives.

The Green party came a distant third in all three byelections.

Greg Hands, the Conservative chair, said the party was disappointed by the Selby result, arguing this was “driven largely by Conservative voters – previous Conservative voters – staying home”.

While the overall byelection results spell bad news for the Tories – polling expert ProfSir John Curtice said the party was “deep electoral trouble” – Labour’s delight was tempered by its failure to take Uxbridge.

Labour figures blamed the decision of the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, to extend the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) pollution scheme to outer areas of the city, including Uxbridge, the key Tory campaign in the area.

Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, hinted that the party thought Khan should rethink the policy. She to BBC Breakfast: “I think one of the things we have to reflect on today is not only the mood against the Tories, but also the decision in Uxbridge was related to Ulez.

“The Uxbridge result shows that when you don’t listen to the voters, you don’t win elections.”

Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, said the party’s win in Somerton and Frome showed it was “firmly back in the West Country”.

Selby’s new MP is 25-year-old Keir Mather, a former researcher for the shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, who was named after the first leader of the Labour party, Keir Hardie. Mather won by 4,161 votes.

Mather will become the “baby of the house” as the youngest MP in the Commons. In his victory speech, he said that “thousands of votes were in Labour’s box for the first time” and declared: “In this campaign we have rewritten the rules on where Labour can win.”

Starmer said: “This is a historic result that shows that people are looking at Labour and seeing a changed party that is focused entirely on the priorities of working people with an ambitious, practical plan to deliver.

“Keir Mather will be a fantastic MP who will deliver the fresh start Selby and Ainsty deserves.”

Labour had been expected to comfortably win Uxbridge, where Johnson’s majority had dwindled to 7,210 in the 2019 general election – his first as prime minister.

There was sufficient disbelief in the Labour camp that they had not in fact won the byelection that party officials demanded a recount. The second round delivered the same result: a slim Conservative victory.

Former postman Steve Tuckwell, the local Conservative councillor who will take Johnson’s place in Westminster, had said the vote was a “referendum” on Ulez.

In his victory speech, Tuckwell referenced the mayor of London’s decision to expand the zone, where people have to pay a £12.50 daily fee to drive if their car does not meet emission standards. “Sadiq Khan has lost Labour this election,” said Tuckwell.

There was a 6.7-percentage point swing in the share of the vote from Conservative to Labour in Uxbridge and South Ruislip. Labour needed a 7.6-point swing to take the seat.

The byelection was triggered by Johnson’s shock resignation after the Commons privileges committee recommended a lengthy suspension from parliament for knowingly misleading parliament about lockdown parties in Downing Street.

In Selby, the Conservatives blamed the outgoing MP, Nigel Adams, for their defeat. People were “really disappointed” that Adams quit in a huff because he didn’t get a seat in the Lords, said Andrew Jones, the MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, who has been overseeing much of the Tory campaigning in Selby. It was “the main talking point” on the doorstep, he claimed.

The Liberal Democrats have gained four seats from the Conservatives at byelections this parliament, after winning Chesham and Amersham and North Shropshire in 2021, and Tiverton and Honiton last year.

In her victory speech in Somerset, Dyke thanked lifelong Conservative voters for switching to the Lib Dems for the first time.

The Lib Dems won 21,187 votes with a 28-point swing, while the Tories achieved their worst result in the history of the seat with 10,179 votes and 26% of the vote. The Greens came third, with Reform UK fourth and Labour fifth.

Labour has gained two seats in byelections since the 2019 general election, after its 2022 win in Wakefield.

Labour’s win in Selby exceeds both the national 12-point swing the party needs for an overall majority at the next general election and the 16-point swing suggested by recent polls.

Gaining Selby sets a record for the size of majority overturned by Labour at a byelection, according to Dr Hannah Bunting and Prof Will Jennings, Sky election analysts. The highest majority the party has overturned at a byelection is 14,654 votes in Mid Staffordshire more than 30 years ago.

Of the three byelections, turnout was highest in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, with 46.11% of the electorate casting a ballot. It was 44.12% in Somerset and 44.77% in Selby.

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2023-07-21 03:45:00Z
CBMiamh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWd1YXJkaWFuLmNvbS9wb2xpdGljcy8yMDIzL2p1bC8yMS91ay1ieWVsZWN0aW9uLXJlc3VsdHMtbGFib3VyLXRvcmllcy1zZWxieS1haW5zdHktdXhicmlkZ2XSAWpodHRwczovL2FtcC50aGVndWFyZGlhbi5jb20vcG9saXRpY3MvMjAyMy9qdWwvMjEvdWstYnllbGVjdGlvbi1yZXN1bHRzLWxhYm91ci10b3JpZXMtc2VsYnktYWluc3R5LXV4YnJpZGdl