Wellingborough and Kingswood by-elections live: Double defeat is 'disappointing', admits Tory chairman

 Source - Daily Telegraph 16/02/24

Richard Holden, the chairman of the Conservative Party, described the Tories’ twin by-election losses as “very disappointing” after Labour cruised to victory in Kingswood and Wellingborough. 

Labour snatched both seats away from the Conservatives overnight in a major blow to Rishi Sunak, with the Tories having now lost more by-elections in a single parliament than any administration since the 1960s.

Mr Holden said he believed there was still a “good while to go before a general election” but he conceded it had been a bad night for his party. 

He told Sky News: “Very disappointing results in both, no need to shy away from that, in both Kingswood and Wellingborough. I think one of the most disappointing things for me though was the turnout in the by-elections was so significantly down compared to the previous general elections in both seats and I want to see people actively participating in democracy. 

“I think that shows that we have got a lot to do to get people out there and enthused to vote again and probably the opposition have a similar challenge.”

Sir Keir Starmer said the results were “fantastic” and showed “people want change and are ready to put their faith in a changed Labour Party to deliver it”.

Tory chair claims Reform 'want to see Keir Starmer in Downing Street'

Reform UK want to see Sir Keir Starmer in Downing Street, the Conservative Party chairman claimed.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Richard Holden said: “Their ambition is to block Conservatives winning seats and therefore put Keir Starmer into Downing Street.

“They’ve made it very clear, you’ve read out that statement from them, that’s what Reform UK want to do, they want to see Keir Starmer in Downing Street and not have a Conservative government.”

Reform not the same threat to Conservatives as Ukip was, suggests Tory chairman

Richard Holden suggested Reform UK does not currently pose the same level of threat to the Tories as Ukip did in the 2010s. 

Reform finished in third place in the Wellingborough and Kingswood by-elections overnight.

Asked how the Tories intend to win over Reform supporters, Mr Holden told Sky News: “Those voters will come from all sorts of different parties. People [who] might have voted independent or voted for Conservatives or voted for Labour as well. 

“I think the important thing… I remember those by-elections back in the mid-2010s when we saw the predecessor’s predecessor to Reform, Ukip, getting 45, 50 per cent of the vote in some cases, in Clacton and in Rochester and Strood, back in the day. 

“So we are not in that sort of circumstances at the moment. But it is very important, I want to appeal to voters from right across the piste but particularly I think we saw in these by-elections… the turnout was very much down and it is very clear that that turnout was down particularly amongst people who voted Conservative. 

“So it is really up to us to take the message out to them, to show that clarity of our plan for the future…”