Boris Johnson

The Tories lost two more by-elections last night but what will it mean for the PM?

The other factor is the fact that many Tories simply stayed at home. In the last year there have been five by-elections involving outgoing Conservative MPs and the Tories have lost four. The most likely method for Johnson to be deposed is for the Conservatives’ 1922 Committee to hold a confidence vote in Johnson among party MPs that he loses. Last night the Lib Dems overturned a Tory majority of 24,000 and while the scale of that victory is highly unlikely to be repeated in a general election it will make many Conservative MPs nervous. The Lib Dems are often on fertile ground in that part of the country and the Tories will be worried that the win could foreshadow more constituencies flipping that way in a general election. Dowden said in a letter addressed to Johnson that “someone must take responsibility” and whilst it was he that was resigning the impression was that Johnson should probably follow.

The Conservatives received a drubbing in the Tiverton & Honiton and Wakefield by-elections with Labour member Gary Neville calling for PM Boris Johnson to ...

"The Conservative Party is on the brink of complete collapse here," he added. The tiresome game he's playing is coming to an end, though." "They think it's all over, it is now!" Manchester United legend Neville, a Labour member, was tweeting throughout the early hours of Friday morning and was keen to let Johnson know his thoughts. Labour reclaimed the Wakefield seat they lost at the general election in 2019 with a 12.69 per cent swing. Johnson recently survived a narrower-than-expected vote of confidence by Tory MPs and his grip on power is dwindling with each passing day.

Mr Howard urged the UK's Cabinet to consider resigning, as Conservative MPs voiced their fears of losing their seats at the next general election under the ...

There’s no doubt about that,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. A Conservative Party source said Mr Johnson was in his hotel pool by 6am Kigali time and was surprised to receive the call from Mr Dowden warning him he was about to resign. Mr Dowden, who was due to appear on the morning media round for the Government before resigning, said in his letter to Mr Johnson that the by-elections “are the latest in a run of very poor results for our party”. “It’s absolutely true we’ve had some tough by-election results. “I think, as a Government, I’ve got to listen to what people are saying – in particular to the difficulties people are facing over the cost of living, which, I think, for most people is the number one issue. Speaking 4,000 miles away at a Commonwealth summit in Rwanda, Mr Johnson vowed to “listen” to voters after losing the former Tory stronghold of Tiverton and Honiton to the Liberal Democrats and Wakefield to Labour.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered a hammer blow to his authority on Friday after his party lost two parliamentary by-elections in a single night ...

And there are a significant number of Conservatives who think that Johnson is dragging the party into oblivion and will cost them their jobs -- and power. Unless an election is called early, the Conservatives will have been in power for 14 years when they ask the public to grant them another five. Is there anyone who could rebrand the party, as Johnson did in 2019, and lead a refreshed party to another victory? The cost-of-living crisis is escalating and the government has few tools in its box to make things easier for British citizens. The Wakefield result suggests Labour could take back many of the so-called Red Wall seats that swung to Johnson's party in the 2019 election. The Tiverton and Honiton defeat means that many once-safe seats in southern and western England could be at risk in the next general election.

Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey branded Prime Minister Boris Johnson a 'lying law-breaker' and says the people 'want him to go' as he exploded with anger ...

He added: "The country isn't broken. "There'll have to be a big change if anything was to happen." "People want Boris Johnson to go." In response, Paul told her: "I'm not fearing anything. So he should go." "We cannot carry on with business as usual.

British prime minister Boris Johnson has been dealt a double blow to his authority after losing two byelections in one night. Video: Reuters.

Chairman Oliver Dowden's letter came hours after Conservatives lost in areas where the defeats will shake Tories and renew questions about Johnson's ...

They also said there were signs of Labour-Liberal Democrat tactical voting that could hurt the Tories if repeated in the next election. If the Tories can’t get a majority or something like it in the next election then they are stuffed,” he said. The loss in this area, sometimes dubbed the “blue wall” because of its historical Conservative support — Tiverton had voted Conservative for over a century — raises questions about other Conservative seats thought to be extremely safe. Sunak was once thought of as a possible successor to Johnson but his star has waned in recent months. After the Commonwealth summit, he heads to Germany for a Group of Seven meeting and then to Spain for a NATO summit. They represented just two seats in the 650-seat Parliament where Conservatives dominate.

Boris Johnson's Conservatives lost two parliamentary seats on Friday, a crushing blow to the governing party that prompted the resignation of its chairman ...

It could be called earlier, but U.S. bank Citi said in a note the likelihood of that was "limited". "Somebody must take responsibility and I have concluded that, in these circumstances, it would not be right for me to remain in office," added Dowden, a long-time ally of Johnson. "I think as a government I've got to listen to what people are saying," Johnson told broadcasters in Kigali after the results. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

If the prime minister's loyalists continue to turn on him, these disastrous byelection results could lead to real discontent. Oliver Dowden.

Johnson’s supporters have often implied to wayward MPs that he could go to the polls early. There had been false hope in Tory circles that the mood was improving and they could cling on to the seat which had a Tory majority of more than 24,000 votes. “It’s the ‘red wall’ and the blue wall. “He’s been the subject of negative briefings for months – they expect people to be loyal even when they are treated like rubbish,” says one senior Tory. When Boris Johnson was running for the Tory leadership in the summer of 2019, he faced resistance from the parliamentary party. Only Boris Johnson can save us.” Members of the team who worked on Johnson’s leadership campaign credited it for turning the mood among MPs.

Two election losses show that Britain's Tory government urgently needs a pro-growth agenda.

- Opinion: The Supreme Court Vindicates the Second Amendment - Opinion: The Supreme Court Vindicates the Second Amendment - Opinion: The Supreme Court Vindicates the Second Amendment You may cancel your subscription at anytime by calling Customer Service. Mr. Johnson’s Conservative Party was defending the two seats after Tory incumbents were forced to resign amid scandals. The U.K. prime minister suffered another setback Thursday in two parliamentary by-elections, casting his future back into doubt.

Heavy by-election defeats at opposite ends of England spell trouble for the British prime minister.

“It’s absolutely crucial that he brings people into the Cabinet who are committed to open principles of lower taxes and trusting people to live their own lives,” said one minister. “We need to calm down,” the second Cabinet minister quoted above said. “We need to make sure we’ve got a disciplined, focused message for the next general election that will make people understand we’re on their side,” the person said. “The endless reportage and Kreminology is nonsense.” “There is no doubt that we’ve showed ill-discipline and collectively we need to reflect on that.” The Tories’ last two outright election victories, in 2015 and 2019, were down in large part to crucial victories in the south-west and north of England respectively.

Anti-Johnson MPs - having blown their chance to oust him in a confidence vote - are now agitating for cabinet colleagues to wield the knife, but one MP says ...

From pressing on trade and girls education with Commonwealth leaders, to discussing issues of food and energy security, and the ongoing war in Ukraine at the G7 and NATO. Members of the cabinet should very carefully consider their positions." Take the Tiverton election result. Anti-Johnson MPs - having blown their chance to oust Mr Johnson in that confidence vote - are now agitating for cabinet colleagues to wield the knife. A source close to the PM told me later the letter was "unhelpful". Others would argue it was devastating as Mr Dowden offered his loyalty to the Conservative Party but said nothing of loyalty to Mr Johnson. Anti-Johnson MPs - having blown their chance to oust him in a confidence vote - are now agitating for cabinet colleagues to wield the knife, but one MP says "they don't have the nerve".

The former Conservative leader Michael Howard was among those who demanded the prime minister stand down after the losses in Tiverton and Honiton and Wakefield ...

And he has lost the confidence of the country,” he added. He needs to ask himself, ‘have I got the stomach for this, and am I going to be able to do this. “He has lost the confidence of his own party. “Boris Johnson has deceived the British people and taken them for granted for far too long,” said the Lib Dem leader, Ed Davey, at a victory rally. He added: “In the end, voters, journalists, they have no one else to make their complaints to. It may be necessary for the executive of the 1922 Committee to meet and to decide to change the rules so another leadership election could take place.”

Tory by-election losses highlight how party is losing ground in both northern and southern England.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the loss of two parliamentary seats overnight following elections was not a good result.

And that is what I was elected to do." We've got to learn," he told reporters in Rwanda, where he is attending a Commonwealth summit. "It became a referendum on Boris Johnson and what is happening nationally," he told BBC television. "It's time for Boris Johnson to go, and go now," he said. We've got to listen. "The way forward is to make arguments to people about change and improvement that we are delivering.

The prime minister was speaking at a news conference in Rwanda hours after the Liberal Democrats overturned a 24000 Tory majority to win the Devon seat of ...

We do that with a laser-like focus on delivery." That is the job of politicians. That's quite right. The prime minister was speaking at a news conference in Rwanda hours after the Liberal Democrats overturned a 24,000 Tory majority to win the Devon seat of Tiverton and Honiton, while Labour took back the red wall constituency of Wakefield in Yorkshire. Asked if he was worried about Conservative colleagues plotting to replace him while he was abroad, the PM bluntly replied: "The answer to the question is no." The prime minister was speaking at a news conference in Rwanda hours after the Liberal Democrats overturned a 24,000 Tory majority to win the Devon seat of Tiverton and Honiton, while Labour took back the red wall constituency of Wakefield in Yorkshire.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday that the loss of two parliamentary seats overnight following elections was not a good result.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com "Look, I'm not going to pretend these are brilliant results. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

The Prime Minister won the 2019 election campaigning for his Northern Ireland Protocol, saying it would "get Brexit done”

He said: "I cannot resist the impression that the tabling of the Bill is politically driven. “And I thought that there was enough stuff in it if you read it carefully, there's enough language in it about east-west trade and the UK internal market, to make you think that the EU could make it operate in a way that wasn't burdensome for businesses trying to do businesses east-west between GB and NI. Speaking to reporters on a trip to Rwanda, the Prime Minister said: "This is something that I didn't want to do.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the reaction to his government's plan to scrap some trade rules governing post-Brexit trade in Northern Ireland ...

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'When I when I read (the Northern Ireland Protocol), I looked at it with the eyes of optimism, and I thought that there was enough stuff in it,' to ensure ...

He went on: “This is something that I didn’t want to do. Do you really think that most Conservative MPs or most people in the country are thinking about this, this problem? But Mr Johnson hit back, telling reporters with him at a Commonwealth summit in Kigali, Rwanda: “No no no, do you really think so?

Despite a disastrous double by-election defeat and a Cabinet resignation Boris Johnson seems set to cling on as Tory leader as rebels fail to agree on...

And that's what I was elected to do.” But I also have to get on with the job of delivering for the people of this country. In the end voters, journalists – they have no one to make their complaints to. That is the job of politicians. “The Dowden resignation does a bit. “I think that what he was trying to do, however, was to give a coded signal to get rid of Boris, as what was interesting was that he said he would continue to be loyal to the Conservative Party – but he didn’t say anything about being loyal to Boris,” a Tory MP said.

Prime minister attributes byelection defeats to voters' frustration with hearing the news about 'things I got wrong'

“People know that we are doing a huge amount with the fiscal firepower that we have to support them right now, to put £1,200 into the most vulnerable households, next July, coming into people’s bank accounts, there’s talk about tax, a cut in national insurance worth an average of £330 coming in for 30 million people just next month as well. “I want to get on with changing and reforming our systems and economy. He needs to ask himself: have I got the stomach for this, and am I going to be able to do this. “Cutting taxes on families is a way to stimulate growth and that’s one of the dividing lines in politics. At the moment, one of the problems is, people are being charged for their electricity prices on the basis of the top marginal gas price, and that is frankly ludicrous, we need to get rid of that system and reform energy markets as other countries in Europe have done. You have to look at the whole way the energy market works.” “I draw the conclusion that voters are heartily sick of hearing about me and the things I am alleged to have done wrong. When Husain mentions Lord Geidt, who resigned over concerns with the government and Johnson’s direction, he refers to a disagreement about steel tariffs. “What’s happened is I have got a renewed mandate from my colleagues and I will continue to deliver. What I’m saying is politics is about allowing people to have the democratic safety valve of letting off at governments, such as in byelections. What I can tell you, is that he said it himself, he said it yesterday, is that Rwanda is extraordinary. “I want to get on with changing and reforming our systems and economy.

PM says he must 'humbly and sincerely' accept criticism but that bad byelection results are common for governments.

And you have to recognise that inevitably when you’re the head of a government that’s taking the country through a big inflationary price spike caused by the increasing cost of energy, people are frustrated. “People are filling up their cars and cursing as they do so. When it was put to him that Dowden had resigned saying business could not continue as usual, Johnson said: “If you’re saying you want me to undergo some sort of psychological transformation, I think that our listeners would know that is not going to happen.

Britain's prime minister argues every government gets 'buffeted' by bad by-election results mid-term, and claims people are 'sick' of hearing about him.

“What they want to hear is what we’re doing for them. “What you can do, and what the government should do, and what I want to do, is to get on with changing and reforming and improving our systems and our economy.” He claimed voters are tired of hearing about what he is “alleged to have done wrong”, and called instead for a focus on “what we’re doing for them”.

Frances O'Grady says UK government doesn't want to avert strikes, it wants to pick fights and sow division.

Rather than standing on picket lines, union representatives should be back around the negotiating table and agree a deal to bring our rail industry into the 21st century,” he said. Ministers are considering options for public sector pay increases against a backdrop of growing unrest over the cost of living crisis, with NHS staff, teachers and civil servants bracing for potential industrial action. “What I really get when I speak to care workers, nurses, cleaners, they are really fed up with this patrician attitude as if our wages don’t count. And we are top of the list. So policy success [averting the strikes] isn’t really the goal.” That is the point.

Defiant prime minister brushes off by-election defeats and vows to tackle cost of living crisis and war in Ukraine.