Date announced for by-elections to replace Boris Johnson and Nigel Adams

Boris Johnson/Nigel Adams
Nigel Adams resigned his seat after Boris Johnson quit as an MP. Credit: PA

Rishi Sunak will face a major test of his leadership next month at two by-elections prompted by the resignations of Boris Johnson and a Conservative ally.

Voters in the former prime minister's Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency will go to the polls on 20 July, along with those in Selby and Ainsty, a seat formerly held by Nigel Adams.

Mr Johnson dramatically resigned as an MP last Friday to avoid the judgment of the Privileges Committee.

The cross-party panel subsequently recommended he should have faced a 90-day suspension for deliberately misleading MPs over the partygate scandal and his conduct in attacking the committee.

Mr Johnson's departure was followed by that of Mr Adams, who quit after being denied a peerage in Mr Johnson's resignation honours list.

Mr Johnson held his west London seat with a majority of 7,210 in 2019 but Labour hopes to take advantage of the Tory turmoil to win.

Labour has always come second in this seat at general elections and polled 38% of the vote in 2019, 15 percentage points behind Mr Johnson.

Mr Adams took 60% of the vote and won a majority of 20,137 in 2019.

Labour came second with 25% of the vote, 35 points behind the Tories.

The Prime Minister also faces the prospect of another by-election, after Nadine Dorries said she would quit her Mid Bedfordshire seat with immediate effect.

Nadine Dorries has stated that she will be stepping down as an MP but has yet to formally resign. Credit: PA

However, that contest has been delayed after she vowed to stay on while she investigates how she was denied her expected peerage in Mr Johnson's resignation honours.

But in a sign the Tories are gearing up to defend the seat - where Ms Dorries notched up a huge majority of 24,664 at the 2019 general election, some  60% of the vote - Cabinet minister Oliver Dowden was out on the campaign trail on Thursday.

The Liberal Democrats hope to spring an upset there, despite the huge swing needed.

The Partygate: The Inside Story podcast brings you fresh revelations and our whistleblowers in their own words in the definitive behind-closed-doors story of how ITV News uncovered one of the biggest scandals of our era...