Labour ‘redraw political map’ with double by-election blow to Rishi Sunak

Labour has dealt a double by-election blow to Rishi Sunak by overturning huge Tory majorities in Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire.

Sir Keir Starmer claimed Labour was “redrawing the political map” by taking seats which had been comfortably Conservative ahead of the general election expected next year.

In Tamworth, Labour’s Sarah Edwards defeated Tory Andrew Cooper by a majority of 1,316.

The Conservatives were defending a 19,600 majority, but a 23.9 percentage point swing to Labour saw that eradicated.

The result, announced shortly at 2.45am, was the second-highest ever by-election swing to Labour.

After the Tamworth result, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “This is a phenomenal result that shows Labour is back in the service of working people and redrawing the political map.

“To those who have given us their trust, and those considering doing so, Labour will spend every day acting in your interests and focused on your priorities. Labour will give Britain its future back.”

Just half-an-hour later, there was even better news for Sir Keir as Mid Bedfordshire saw the largest majority overturned by Labour at a by-election since 1945.

The Tories had held Mid Bedfordshire since 1931, with a 24,664 Conservative majority in 2019.

But Alistair Strathern took the seat with a majority of 1,192 over his Tory rival Festus Akinbusoye