Live: Tory party suffers double defeat in difficult by-election

Veteran Tory MP Sir Roger Gale has said Boris Johnson has “damaged” the Conservative Party’s reputation.

Sir Roger said Mr Johnson had decided to “hold on to the door handle at No 10” but “it can’t go on like this forever and it certainly won’t go on like this until the next general election”.

He said the Tories are “spoiled for choice” for new leaders and there are “several people” who he thinks would make a good prime minister

Asked if he saw Oliver Dowden’s resignation as a catalyst for further expressions of dissatisfaction from the Cabinet, he told BBC Breakfast: “It is possible that this will happen, but it is up to my colleagues in the Cabinet to decide whether to continue.” a prime minister who frankly has ruined the reputation of the Conservative Party, my party, for honesty, decency, integrity and compassion.”

He added: “There are several people who would make very good prime ministers within the party and one of them will show up by the next general election and lead us into the next general election which I trust we will win. “

Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer said his party’s victory in the Wakefield by-election showed that the Conservatives had “lost touch, lost ideas and would be decorously stepping out of the way for the sake of the country”.

The prime minister said he would take responsibility for the by-election losses but stressed that the most important thing for voters was the cost of living crisis.

Mr Johnson said he had to listen to voters’ concerns and acknowledged the government had “more work to do”.

Speaking at a conference center in Kigali, he said: “It’s absolutely true that we’ve had some tough by-election results, they reflect a lot of things I think, but we have to recognize voters are going through a tough time right now.

“I think as a government I have to listen to what people are saying – particularly the difficulties that people are facing in relation to the cost of living, which I think is the number one problem for most people.

“We’re now under pressure on the cost of living, we’re seeing spikes in fuel prices, energy costs, food costs – it’s hitting people.

“We have to recognize that we still have to do more and we certainly will. We will continue to address people’s concerns until we get through this patch.”

Boris Johnson has vowed to “carry on” after his party suffered a double by-election defeat that then prompted the resignation of a cabinet member.

The Prime Minister on Friday conceded that the loss of former Tory strongholds Tiverton and Honiton to the Lib Dems, as well as Wakefield’s handover to Labour, was “tough”, but he insisted he was going through and vowed to “listen to voters.” “. .

Conservative Party co-leader Oliver Dowden stopped after the results, saying he and Tory supporters were “troubled and disappointed by recent events” and told Mr Johnson “someone has to take responsibility”.

Speaking to broadcasters in Rwanda 4,000 miles away at a Commonwealth Summit, Mr Johnson thanked Mr Dowden for his “excellent” service in the role.

Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer said Labor’s victory in the Wakefield by-election showed “that the country has lost confidence in the Tories.

He said the result showed that Labor was “back with working people” and it was a clear verdict that the Tories had “run out of energy and ideas”.

Mr Johnson, who is in Rwanda for a summit of Commonwealth leaders, suggested it would be “crazy” for him to resign if the party lost the two seats, saying mid-term by-elections “won’t necessarily be easy for any government “.

Oliver Dowden has resigned as leader of the Conservative Party after suffering a double by-election defeat.

Describing the losses as “the latest in a string of very bad results” for the Tories, Mr Dowden said in a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson that “someone has to take responsibility”.

He wrote: “Our supporters are disturbed and disappointed by recent events and I share their feelings.

“We cannot continue as usual. Someone has to take responsibility and I have come to the conclusion that in the circumstances it would not be right to remain in office.”

The MP ended his letter by saying: “I would like to stress that this is a deeply personal decision that I made alone.

“I will remain loyal to the Conservative Party as always.”

Simon Lightwood was elected in Wakefield by a majority of 4,925 in a 12.7% move from Tories to Labour.

Former Wakefield MP Imran Ahmad Khan resigned after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy, a crime for which he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Wakefield was one of the so-called Red Wall seats won by the Tories in the 2019 general election, having been Labor since the 1930s.

Of his victory, Mr Lightwood said: “The people of Wakefield have spoken on behalf of the British people.

“You said unreservedly: Boris Johnson, your contempt for this country will no longer be tolerated.”

Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Richard Foord has urged Boris Johnson to step down as Prime Minister after winning the Tiverton and Honiton by-elections.

Mr Foord overturned a Tory majority of 24,000 and won the seat by more than 6,000 votes.

The poll was sparked by the resignation of Conservative Neil Parish after he was caught viewing pornography on his phone in the House of Commons.

Mr Foord, a married father of three, said in a speech after his election: “Tonight the people of Tiverton and Honiton spoke for Britain.

“They sent a message loud and clear: it is time for Boris Johnson to go and go now.

“Our country is great and there is no bigger part of it than Devon. But Boris Johnson clings to office every day, bringing further shame, chaos and neglect.”