The UK's ruling Conservative Party loses two out of three by-elections as support for the main opposition Labour Party soars ahead of the 2024 general election.

 

Thursday was a bad day for the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak although not as bad as some people had predicted. 

 

Many thought his ruling Conservative Party would lose former PM Boris Johnson's old seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip on the outskirts of London. 

That didn't happen but it was a close contest for a constituency regarded as a 'safe' Tory seat. In the end, there was a 6.7% swing to Labour but the Conservatives won it by 495 votes. 

 

However, elsewhere the ruling party was heavily defeated. 

In the Yorkshire seat of Selby and Ainsty, the main opposition Labour Party made history by overturning a 20,137 majority to win the seat.

And in Somerton and Frome in the southwest of England,  the Liberal Democrats overturned a majority of more than 19,000 to take the seat.

Looks like the brexit chickens are coming home to roost.

What a biased report!

No mention of why the Labour party did NOT win "Boris Johnson's old seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip on the outskirts of London."

The reason was the dreaded ULEZ!

 

3 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

What a biased report!

No mention of why the Labour party did NOT win "Boris Johnson's old seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip on the outskirts of London."

The reason was the dreaded ULEZ!

 

The ULEZ boris himself brought in and Shaps or whatever his name is (this week) pushed on?  Life is a sitcom.

1 hour ago, scottiejohn said:

What a biased report!

No mention of why the Labour party did NOT win "Boris Johnson's old seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip on the outskirts of London."

The reason was the dreaded ULEZ!

 

ULEZ was initiated by Boris Johnson.

 

Doh!

At Selby a Tory majority of over 20,000 routed into a Labour victory of over 4000 votes.

 

Slap!

 

 

Edited July 21, 20232 yr by Chomper Higgot

7 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

ULEZ was initiated by Boris Johnson.

 

Doh!

For only the inner city! Not the present plan to extend it to ALL of London!

Doh!

10 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

What a biased report!

No mention of why the Labour party did NOT win "Boris Johnson's old seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip on the outskirts of London."

The reason was the dreaded ULEZ!

 

A price worth paying:

 "Air pollution even contributes to the premature death of thousands of Londoners every year. It's not just a central London problem. In fact, the greatest number of deaths related to air pollution occur in outer London areas."

 https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/ulez-expansion-2023

2 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

For only the inner city! Not the present plan to extend it to ALL of London!

Doh!

Irrelevant to the rest of England though.

2 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

For only the inner city! Not the present plan to extend it to ALL of London!

Doh!

Because we know vehicles and the pollution they create resides only within the ‘inner city’.

 

Breaking news from the Daily Fail.

Today the greatest prime minister since Winston Churchill was basking in the glory of turning a 7000 majority into a 495 majority. Taking the battle plan from his colleague Rees Mogg, from the 1860 faction of the Tory party, dishy Rishi pushed home the plan that perambulators over 50 years old should no longer have to have a man carrying a red flag in front. Local resident Mr Clint Abdulla said it was a victory for democracy that the great and deeply missed Boris Johnston had been returned to his rightful place as MP for Uxbridge and that other names. (some mistake surely). There were two other by-elections.

For anyone with a non-compliant vehicle for less than £1,400

You can drive with a ULEZ gas guzzling compliant vehicle such as a 

Blue LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER VOGUE V8 AUTO

4.4 V8 Vogue 5dr 2005 (54 reg)

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-11674907/The-little-known-loophole-lets-beat-ULEZ-charge.html

22 minutes ago, vinny41 said:

For anyone with a non-compliant vehicle for less than £1,400

You can drive with a ULEZ gas guzzling compliant vehicle such as a 

Blue LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER VOGUE V8 AUTO

4.4 V8 Vogue 5dr 2005 (54 reg)

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-11674907/The-little-known-loophole-lets-beat-ULEZ-charge.html

Whatever the rights and wrongs of ULEZ, it isn't going to be a significant factor in shaping the voting intentions of the majority of the UK electorate. 

No amount of islamophobia and Sadiq bashing is going to return the disillusioned middle to the conservatives any time soon.

44 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

Whatever the rights and wrongs of ULEZ, it isn't going to be a significant factor in shaping the voting intentions of the majority of the UK electorate. 

No amount of islamophobia and Sadiq bashing is going to return the disillusioned middle to the conservatives any time soon.

More specifically, not an issue the ‘Red Wall’ (still awaiting the hollow Tory promises of ‘leveling up’), and more worryingly for the Tories, a 20,000 majority can no longer be considered a safe seat. 

1 hour ago, RuamRudy said:

Whatever the rights and wrongs of ULEZ, it isn't going to be a significant factor in shaping the voting intentions of the majority of the UK electorate. 

No amount of islamophobia and Sadiq bashing is going to return the disillusioned middle to the conservatives any time soon.

The reasons for the electorate voting the Labout party into 5th in the third by election might.

14 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

The reasons for the electorate voting the Labout party into 5th in the third by election might.

Don't get my wrong - I have never voted labour in my life, and not about to start now. In fact, a weakened and chaotic Labour party suits me just fine, but I think that the writing is on the wall for the Tories. They are toast.

1 hour ago, RuamRudy said:

Don't get my wrong - I have never voted labour in my life, and not about to start now. In fact, a weakened and chaotic Labour party suits me just fine, but I think that the writing is on the wall for the Tories. They are toast.

More to the pony, Tory MPs will be looking at these results and getting a glimpse into their own future.

 

Sunak’s has a very weak grip on the Parliamentary Conservative Party, it just got a whole lot weaker.