British PM Sunak suffers crushing by-elections blow
The Hindu
Conservatives suffer crushing defeats in two safe seats, raising doubts about their ability to win next year's election. Labour won both seats, overturning huge majorities, in the biggest swing since 1945. Sunak has tried to cast himself as a bold reformer, but polls show Labour still has a double-digit lead.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's governing Conservatives suffered two crushing defeats in previously safe parliamentary seats on Friday, raising doubts about his party's ability to win the general election expected next year.
The double defeat showed a dramatic slump in support for the Conservatives, who have won the last four national elections, and is only the third time that a British Prime Minister has lost two by-elections on the same day since 1991.
The main opposition Labour Party won the seat of Mid-Bedfordshire, an area about 80 km north of London, overturning a majority of almost 25,000, making it the biggest deficit the party has overcome in a by-election since 1945.
Labour also overturned a huge majority in another former Conservative stronghold, Tamworth, a largely rural constituency in central England, with the second largest swing between the two parties since World War Two.
"These are phenomenal results," Labour leader Keir Starmer said in a statement. "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."
Mr. Sunak, a 43-year-old former investment banker, has recently tried to cast himself as a bold reformer and no longer the cautious technocrat who restored some of Britain’s credibility after scandals and economic turmoil forced his two predecessors from office.
With voters angry over high inflation, economic stagnation, and long waiting times to use the state-run health service, Sunak is running out of time and opportunities to close the gap on Labour, who have enjoyed a double-digit polling lead over the Conservative for over a year.
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