By election live: Labour takes momentous wins in Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire - full results
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Labour has taken a momentous win in the Tamworth by-election and won Mid Bedfordshire for the first time since its existence.
In Staffordshire, Sarah Edwards wiped out a majority of more than 19,000 to win a seat Labour hasn't held since 2010. There was a by-election after Chris Pincher resigned after he was banned from the House of Commons for eight-weeks for drunkenly groping two men. Alistair Strathern overturned Nadine Dorries' huge majority in Mid Bedfordshire, in an astounding result.
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Hide AdLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “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.”
Follow the latest news, analysis and gossip from NationalWorld reporters at both by-election counts with our live blog below.
Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth by-election live
Key Events
Tamworth is largest numerical majority Labour has ever overturned
The Tamworth by-election is largest majority in terms of number of voters Labour has overturned, the News Agents' Lewis Goodall reports. It is the second biggest swing, the biggest swing ever could be coming later in the night in Mid Bedfordshire.
Labour wins Mid Bedfordshire
Labour's Alistair Strathern has won Mid Bedfordshire overturning Nadine Dorries' huge majority from 2019.
Strathern says 'nowhere is off limits for Labour'
Strathern said his victory in the Mid Bedfordshire by-election had “made history” and sent a “resounding message”.
Giving his victory speech, the newest Labour MP said: “Tonight residents across Mid Bedfordshire have made history, after decades of being taken for granted, feeling left behind, being under-represented, they made a decision it was time for a change.
“Nowhere is off limits for this Labour Party and tonight’s result proves it.”
Mid Bedfordshire full results
- Alistair Strathern (Lab) 13,872 (34.07%, +12.39%)
- Festus Akinbusoye (C) 12,680 (31.14%, -28.65%)
- Emma Holland-Lindsay (LD) 9,420 (23.13%, +10.51%)
- Gareth Mackey (Ind) 1,865 (4.58%, +3.33%)
- Dave Holland (Reform) 1,487 (3.65%)
- Cade Sibley (Green) 732 (1.80%, -2.03%)
- Ann Kelly (Loony) 249 (0.61%, -0.22%)
- Antonio Vitiello (Eng Dem) 107 (0.26%)
- Sid Cordle (CPA) 101 (0.25%)
- Alan Victor (True) 93 (0.23%)
- Alberto Thomas (Heritage) 63 (0.15%)
- Emperor of India Prince Ankit Love (ND) 27 (0.07%)
- Chris Rooney (Mainstream) 24 (0.06%)
Worrying signs for the Tories
Labour’s victories at Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth mean that swings of over 20 percentage points have taken place at eight by-elections in the past three years – a pattern that is unprecedented in recent political history.
Five of the eight swings have occurred in the past four months: Selby & Ainsty (23.7 points from Conservatives to Labour) and Somerton & Frome (29.0 points from Conservatives to the Liberal Democrats) in July; Rutherglen & Hamilton West (20.4 points from the SNP to Labour) earlier this month, and now Mid Bedfordshire (20.5 points) and Tamworth (23.9 points), both from Conservatives to Labour.
The others were Tiverton & Honiton (29.9 points) in June 2022, North Shropshire (34.1 points) in December 2021, and Chesham & Amersham (25.2 points) in June 2021, all from the Conservatives to the Liberal Democrats.
Sarah Edwards: ‘People want change'
Sarah Edwards, Labour’s candidate who has won the seat at Tamworth’s by-election, said the win is a “historic victory”. She said that the party “didn’t know” what they were “going to expect” at the count on Thursday night (19 October) and the result is “testament to the work that has gone on”.
She told NationalWorld that Labour’s win in Tamworth “sends a really strong message to the country” and shows how “people want change and are fed up of 13 years of the Conservatives.” The Tories had previously held the seat in Tamworth since 2010.