Labour has won the Wakefield by-election by a margin of 4,925 votes, reclaiming the traditional red wall seat from the Conservatives.
Simon Lightwood is elected as the city’s new MP, putting Boris Johnson’s leadership to the test for the first time since the confidence vote last month.
Simon Lightwood, an NHS worker, will now represent the West Yorkshire city in the Commons.
Mr. Lightwood addressed the prime minister following the result, saying, “Boris Johnson, your contempt for this country is no longer tolerated, your government has no ideas, no plan to address the big issues facing our country.”
“I think people are tired of the lies and deceit we’ve seen from the prime minister, and they’re demanding change, and tonight is the demonstration of that,” he told.
“This is a tremendous victory for the Labour Party, and we’re rebuilding that red wall under Keir Starmer’s leadership,” he added.
“We are listening to the people of the country and presenting a vision for the future.”
The resignation of Tory MP Imran Ahmad Khan, who resigned after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy, triggered the ballot.
The seat had been held by Labour since 1932 but was won by Mr. Khan in Boris Johnson’s landslide general election victory in 2019.
The outcome is the first test of the prime minister’s leadership since the vote of confidence last month.
