Labor has won the Blackpool South by-election from the Conservatives in a further blow to Rishi Sunak’s leadership.
The party’s candidate, Chris Webb, received 10,825 votes after Thursday’s contest – a 58.9% share of the vote – with the Tories far behind on just 3,218.
Reform UK was hot on its heels, polling 3,101 votes, while the Liberal Democrats polled 387 votes and the Green Party polled 368.
Follow live: Local election results as they come in
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer called it a “seismic” victory for his party and “the most important” amid a string of local election results.
He added: “This is the only contest where voters have had the chance to send a message directly to Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives, and that message is an overwhelming vote for change.”
Speaking to Sky News following the announcement of his victory, Webb said his priority in parliament would be the cost of living crisis as it has “harmed so many people here in Blackpool South [and] people are struggling to survive.”
The most recent Commons MP said the country was “fed up” and “wants change”, adding: “The long-standing Conservatives voted for me in this election and Labor because they want that change.
“So many people are calling for a Labor government, Rishi Sunak needs to admit he failed and call a general election.”
The by-election was called after former Conservative MP Scott Benton – who won the seat in 2019 with a slim majority of 3,690 – was caught in a sting by the Times newspaper, suggesting he was willing to break lobbying rules for money.
As a result, he was suspended from the House of Commons for 35 days, meaning he was subject to a recall petition in his constituency.
But rather than face removal from office, Benton resigned from parliament, triggering a vote for a new MP.
In a further painful twist for the Tories, the candidate who would replace him, David Jones, was revealed as the chairman of the Fylde Tories – the area represented by the latest scandal to hit MP Mark Menzies.
Menzies made headlines after claims he misused campaign funds – including calling a local association member to say he had been locked in a flat by “bad people” and needed £5,000 as a matter of “life and death”.
Jones denied knowing anything about the incident – which was reportedly reported to the Conservative Party three months ago – until it was revealed in the media.
Voting took place alongside local elections in England and Wales.
It is the seventh seat that the Conservative Party has lost to the Labor Party in this parliament – although the Conservatives beat Hartlepool at Labor 2021.
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