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Polling and political sentiment in Westminster predicted the ruling Conservatives would lose all three Parliamentary by-elections (special elections) being held in England, but anger in London over Labour mayor Khan’s push for radical anti-car measures upset the apple cart.
Scandals and resignations have seen several vacated seats in Britain’s House of Commons in recent months, three of which were resolved with by-elections on Thursday, with one each going to the Conservatives, Labour, and the Liberal Democrats. All three had been Conservative seats, and the party was predicted to face massive swings to the opposition and lose them all, but pundits were confounded by a narrow hold of Boris Johnson’s old seat in London, Uxbridge and South Ruislip.
Tory Steve Tuckwell took 45.2 per cent, down seven per cent from 2019 and only slightly ahead of Labour’s 43.6 per cent, a margin of around 500 votes. The narrow hold is nevertheless a much-needed boost to the Conservatives, who have used it as proof that overall victory at the next general election — expected next year — remains possible.
Uxbridge and South Ruislip, parliamentary by-election result:
CON: 45.2% (-7.5)
LAB: 43.6% (+5.9)
GRN: 2.9% (+0.6)
REC: 2.3% (+2.3)
Conservative HOLD.
Britain Elects (@BritainElects) July 21, 2023
The Prime Minister said this morning: “Now no-one expected us to win here, but Steve [Tuckwell’s] victory demonstrates that when confronted with the actual reality of the Labour Party, when there’s an actual choice on a matter of substance at stake, people vote Conservative.”
Frustratingly for Labour, the emerging consensus on Friday morning appears to be their hard-left London mayor, Sadiq Khan, may have been the factor that cost them the seat they expected to easily take.
