One of the last things British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak needs right now, trailing in opinion polls as the economy stagnates, is a test of his electoral popularity.
But on Thursday, he faces three contests as voters in different parts of England choose replacements for three of his Conservative lawmakers who have left parliament, including former prime minister Boris Johnson.
Votes called by-elections occur when a seat in the House of Commons becomes vacant between general elections. In the British system, each elected MLA represents a district, so when they leave, those voters decide who succeeds them.
Mr Trump left parliament in anger after lawmakers ruled he had lied about the Covid-lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street. Johnson’s toxic legacy hangs over the contests.
As the government does not change any outcome, voters often use such by-elections to register their displeasure with their political leaders. And with inflation and interest rates high, labor unrest simmering and health care struggling, Mr.
That makes Mr. Sunak the first Prime Minister since 1968 to suffer a triple by-election defeat on the same day. This raises fears among the Conservatives, whose leadership they are heading for defeat in an expected general election next year.
But by-elections are unpredictable, so nothing is certain on this so-called Super Thursday. And with prospects so low for the Conservatives, even winning one would be a welcome relief for Mr Sunak.
Voters are voting here:
Uxbridge and South Ruislip
This is Mr. vacated by Johnson and is on the outskirts of the capital, London. Although the inner parts of the capital lean towards Labour, the main opposition party, outer London, with its suburbs and large houses, is much better for the Conservatives. In the last general election Mr.
But the Conservatives see an opening in plans to extend the ultra-low-emissions program to areas including Uxbridge and South Ruislip. London’s Labor mayor, Sadiq Khan, pressed that the expansion would cost those who drive older, more polluting cars. Conservatives are campaigning against expansion. The constituency’s Labor candidate has also voiced opposition to the expansion, although Labor leaders have not taken a stand.
Selby and Einstein
The contest in Selby and Ainsty in Yorkshire, northern England, is another aftershock of recent political turmoil as quit MLA Nigel Adams faces Mr. was a close friend of Johnson. He resigned because he did not get a seat in the House of Lords as he expected. It’s a scenic part of northern England but has a history of mining, and Labor hopes it can wrest the seat.
It sends a strong signal that the party is returning to popularity in the north and center of England – areas it once dominated but lost in the 2019 general election. However, this is a tall order. If Labor succeeds in Selby and Ainstie, where the Conservative majority was 20,137 in 2019, it would set a record for the size of the majority overturned by Labor in a by-election. So a win for Labor here bodes well for a general election win.
Somerton and Frome
Instead of Labour, the smaller, centrist Liberal Democrats are seen as the main challenge to the Conservatives in Somerton and Frome, in the south-west of England.
The vote came after David Warburton resigned after admitting to using cocaine. The Lib-Dems have a strong tradition of success in this attractive, mainly rural area and they held this electoral district until 2015.
In the last election, the Conservatives won a huge majority of 19,213. But since then, they have suffered losses in some areas of their heartland in the south of England, known as the Blue Wall, named after the party’s campaign colours.
At the same time, the fortunes of the Liberal Democrats have revived considerably. This year, he performed well in local council elections and last year, he stormed to victory in by-elections in Tiverton and Honiton in the South West.
