Sunak's Tories stare at heavy general election defeat after Blackpool by-election and council losses
Rishi Sunak’s Tories were staring at a heavy general election defeat after losing the Blackpool by-election and scores of council seats.
The Conservatives woke to a set of dire results streaming in from overnight election counts.
Labour won the Blackpool South parliamentary by-election with a swing of 26.33 per cent from the Tories, the third biggest since the Second World War.
In the contest triggered by the resignation of former Tory MP Scott Benton following a lobbying scandal, Labour’s Chris Webb secured 10,825 votes, a majority of 7,607.
Tory David Jones came in second with 3,218 votes, just 117 ahead of Reform UK’s
