Results from special elections in Tamworth and Mid-Bedfordshire show a significant shift from Conservatives to Labour, solidifying Labour's position as the front-runner ahead of the national election next year. The Labour candidates, Sarah Edwards and Alistair Strathern, won in Tamworth and Mid-Bedfordshire respectively, overturning previous Tory margins. The swings in support for Labour are compared to the collapse in Conservative support under Prime Minister John Major in the 1990s. The results add pressure on the governing party, which has lost several byelections since Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took office. Sunak has not been able to boost the party's rating in opinion polls, where it consistently lags behind Labour. A national election must be called by the end of 2024.
Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, has claimed that the party's recent byelection wins demonstrate that people are tired of the decline under the Conservative government. Starmer made the comments during a visit to Tamworth, where Labour overturned a large Conservative majority. The Conservatives have attempted to downplay the significance of the byelection results, citing low turnout. However, analysts argue that the results are positive for Labour and suggest a potential electoral triumph in the next general election. Rishi Sunak, a senior Conservative minister, described the losses as 'disappointing' but attributed them to local factors. The article also discusses the government's proposal to consult councils on the number of refugees to be admitted to the UK and the recent pro-Palestine demonstrations in the country.
In Wales, Vaughan Gething, the son of a Welsh father and a Zambian mother, has won the Welsh Labour Party leadership contest and is set to become the first Black leader of Wales' semi-autonomous government. Gething, who is currently Welsh economy minister, narrowly beat Education Minister Jeremy Miles in a race to replace First Minister Mark Drakeford. Once confirmed by the Welsh parliament, Gething will become the fifth first minister since Wales' national legislature was established in 1999. Wales will join Scotland and Northern Ireland as parts of the United Kingdom with nonwhite leaders. Gething was Wales' health minister during the COVID-19 pandemic and has had to deal with fallout from Tata Steel's plan to close blast furnaces at its plant in Port Talbot. Gething's campaign was affected by the revelation that he accepted donations from a recycling company found guilty of environmental offenses. Other party leaders offered congratulations to Gething, though some expressed skepticism. [bf0b2e2d] [91fd7e83]
