British voters deal Rishi Sunak a double blow by electing Labor lawmakers in two special elections

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Beleaguered British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday urged voters and his party to stick with him, after two English districts elected opposition MPs to seats that Sunak's Conservatives had held for years.

The results will deepen conservative fears that, after 14 years in power, the party is heading for a drubbing when national elections are held in less than a year. The Conservatives consistently trail the centre-left Labor Party by between 10 and 20 points in opinion polls.

Labour candidate Damien Egan won the Commons seat of Kingswood, in the South West of England, and the Labor Party's Gen Kitchen won the House of Commons seat of Kingswood in the South West of England. Wellingborough, in the center of the country, showed the results announced on Friday. The Conservatives won both victories by wide margins in the last national election in 2019, but saw their support plummet in Thursday's special election.

The British Reform Party – formerly known as the name Brexit Party – came third, leaving the Conservatives facing party pressure. right and left.

“Stick to our plan, because it begins to deliver the change that the country wants and needs,” Sunak said.

"We have The country has clearly been through a lot in recent years, but I sincerely believe that at the start of this year we are heading in the right direction," he told reporters.

Labour leader Keir Starmer said the results "show people want change."

Thursday's election replaced two lawmakers who left suddenly, one in protest , the other in a cloud.

Legislator Chris Skidmore has left the Kingswood seat. last month to protest Sunak's lack of commitment to green energy. Long-serving Wellingborough lawmaker Peter Bone has been ousted following allegations of bullying and sexual misconduct.

The Conservatives have now lost 10 by-elections since the last general election. , more than any other administration since the 1960s. That includes six defeats – and one victory – since Sunak took office in October 2022. He replaced Liz Truss, who shook up the economy with a plan to unfunded tax cuts and lasted only seven weeks in power.

Sunak, the fifth Conservative leader since 2016, restored some stability, but failed to revive the party's popularity. ruling party.

The Conservatives have been in power nationally since 2010, years marked by austerity following the global banking crisis, Britain's controversial decision to leave the Union European, a global pandemic and a European war which triggered the worst cost of living...