Andrew Western, the leader of Trafford Council, retained the Greater Manchester seat with an almost 10,000-vote margin.
Labour retained its seat in Stretford and Urmston with relative ease in its second by-election victory in two weeks.
Andrew Western, the leader of Trafford Council, retained the Greater Manchester seat with an almost 10,000-vote margin.
He received 69.65% of the vote, an increase of 9.34% from the snap election three years prior, and a swing of 10.5% from Conservatives to Labour.
Emily Carter-Kandola, the Conservative candidate, placed second with 2,922 votes and 15.86% of the vote share.
The winning Labour candidate stated that his victory signifies the end of 12 years of the Conservative government.
Mr. Western, after thanking his mother for her support, stated: “With the result this evening, a powerful message has been conveyed.
“And the people of Stretford and Urmston do not just speak for this constituency, but also for millions of people across the country who have been let down by this government over the past 12 years.
Twelve unsuccessful years of Conservative rule are coming to an end.
Mr. Western continued his victory speech with the following: “The Tories have given up on governing, and it is becoming increasingly apparent that the British public has given up on them as well.
“Labour is prepared to deliver for our nation, and only Labour has a strategy to create a fairer and greener future for working people.
“It is evident from tonight’s outcome, as well as the result two weeks ago in Chester, that the people are ready for a Labour government; therefore, tonight’s message should be that Labour is prepared to govern. Thank you very much.”
The by-election was necessitated by former Labour minister Kate Green’s November resignation to become Greater Manchester’s deputy mayor.
Nine people were vying to succeed her as the Labour stronghold’s representative.
The by-election is Rishi Sunak’s second test at the polls since becoming prime minister and comes as the United Kingdom faces a cost-of-living crisis, surging inflation, and increasing industrial action.
In the most recent by-election, conducted in the City of Chester two weeks earlier, Samantha Dixon retained the Labour nomination after Christian Matheson resigned following the Commons standards body’s upholding of allegations of serious sexual misconduct.
It was the first by-election since Boris Johnson’s stunning withdrawal from No. 10 and the market volatility that came to define Liz Truss’s brief tenure as the leader of the nation.
It was anticipated that Labour would win, however, the margin was larger than in 2019, and it was the worst result for the Conservatives in Chester since 1832.
