Labour has hailed a “seismic” by-election win in Blackpool South, with Rishi Sunak facing a brutal series of local election losses overnight.
Sir Keir Starmer said Labour’s win, in the contest to replace ousted Tory MP Scott Benton, was “truly historic” and the “most important result” nationally.
Britain’s top polling guru Professor Sir John Curtice said there will be “no solace” for the PM today as Reform UK pushed the Tories into third place in a series of council seats.
But some Tory MPs will be comforted by the fact that Reform UK failed to upset the Conservatives in Blackpool South, finishing third by just 100 votes.
With the results of key mayoral contests yet to be declared, one Tory MP told The Independent that a move against Mr Sunak is “likely” if either West Midlands mayor Andy Street or Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen lose their jobs.
Former chancellor George Osborne said on his Political Currency podcast: “If Andy Street loses in the West Midlands, that’s pretty bad ...[but] If Ben Houchen loses it will be armageddon – because at that point, people will say, ‘We are absolutely headed now for a massive landslide defeat’.”
