Wellingborough and Kingswood ‘particularly challenging’, PM insists after defeat

Rishi Sunak has insisted the circumstances surrounding the Wellingborough and Kingswood by-elections were “particularly challenging” after suffering a double defeat that Sir Keir Starmer said showed people were “crying out for change”.

In his first remarks since the votes, the Prime Minister said there is “not a huge amount of enthusiasm” for Labour despite the party flipping Tory majorities in the tens of thousands overnight.

The results mean the Conservative Government has endured more by-election losses than any administration since the 1960s, surpassing the eight defeats suffered by John Major in the run-up to Tony Blair’s 1997 landslide victory.

Speaking to broadcasters on a visit to a police station in Harlow, Essex, Mr Sunak said: “Midterm elections