Tories lose both Tiverton & Honiton and Wakefield parliamentary by-elections

[Emrys]

Lib Dems sweep to victory in Tiverton and Honiton by-election in major blow to Boris Johnson

The Liberal Democrats have swept to victory in the Tiverton and Honiton by-election in a crushing defeat for Boris Johnson’s Conservative party.

Former army major Richard Foord managed to overturn a gargantuan margin of 24,239 votes to become the Liberal Democrats fourteenth MP. His historic victory is the first time since the seat was created in 1997 that Tiverton and Honiton has not been blue.

It also represents the largest majority - in votes not percentage swing - ever overturned at a by-election, defeating a previous record set in Liverpool Wavertree in 1935.

Mr Foord secured 22,537 votes. Tory candidate and former local headteacher Helen Hurford came in second with 16,393 votes.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/lib-dems-tiverton-and-honiton-byelection-boris-johnson-b2108171.html

Hurford wasn't short of hubris before the election, but this was her tonight before the declaration:

Link to tweet

Theo Usherwood
@theousherwood

The Tory candidate Helen Hurford in the Tiverton by election has just locked herself in the dance studio at Crediton sports centre.

She was in there for quite a while - much to the annoyance of the media, as the room was supposed to be available as an interview space.

Meanwhile ...

Labour wins Wakefield byelection regaining seat from Conservatives
Simon Lightwood elected as MP in symbolic victory in the ‘red wall’ seat won by the Conservatives in 2019

Labour has regained Wakefield from the Conservatives in a byelection triggered after a Tory MP was imprisoned for sexually abusing a 15-year-old boy.

The new Labour MP, Simon Lightwood, is an NHS communications executive who used to work for the previous Labour MP. Lightwood won with 13,166 votes, a majority of 4,921 votes. The Tories’ Nadeem Ahmed came in second with 8,241 votes.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jun/24/labour-win-wakfield-byelection-taking-seat-from-conservatives

[T_i_B]

1. Excellent news!

The result in Tiverton & Honiton is especially damming for Conservatives.