mean, this is a conservative - massive triumph for labour? yes, i mean, this is a conservative safe . mean, this is a conservative safe seat on paper until overnight, it had a 20,000 plus majority. the conservatives have held it since 2010, increasing their majority at every election. but it has been a political earthquake here, and now there is a a000 labour majority here. that is actually the biggest majority labour has ever overturned in a by election, and when you talk about this seat in the general election context, it would not even be that much of a labour target. they could not win this seat and still comfortably get a majority. now, the thing that may worry rishi sunak about here is the issues that were coming up. things like the cost of living, things like people struggling to get doctors appointments, people feeling that public transport wasn t up to scratch. they are perhaps not that particular to this part of the country. those are issues that probably resonate with a lot
the by elections that are upcoming that you mentioned, where do you think the opposition, labour, the lib dems, will try to focus their resources? will some races be tighter than others? resources? will some races be tighter than others? yeah, most definitel . tighter than others? yeah, most definitely. the tighter than others? yeah, most definitely. the interesting - tighter than others? yeah, most definitely. the interesting thing| definitely. the interesting thing about the by elections, you have a north, south and midlands aspects to them. i think uxbridge and south ruislip will be a top labour target. borisjohnson never had a safe majority there, notwithstanding that he is a former prime minister. a majority of 7500 is certainly vulnerable and labour will be licking their lips at the prospect of possibly taking the seat. selby and ainsty ought to be a classic conservative hold, it is a very safe conservative hold, it is a very safe conservative seat in many ways with a 17,000 m
declare. let s test the temperature in north warwickshire with shelley phelps. what is happening there? welcome accounting is under way, we are still waiting for a lot of those seats that are key seats that might decide which way the council goes. a key labour target, held by the conservative since 2015. speaking to labour party sources, when i first arrived they told me they were feeling very confident of a narrow win here. when i checked in with their earlier, we have been hearing a lot about recounts, and quite a few seats had ten or 20 bouts in it. they were saying they thought now that maybe things could go to no overall control. forthe overall control. for the conservatives, there overall control. forthe conservatives, there are a lot of their activists and campaigners looking quite nervous. they know that they are having less good of a night tonight. it sounds like they are about to make another declaration now. but all eyes are on
labour through defections. and what will happen in the councils in lincoln and in ipswich which are labour councils but returned tory mps at the last election? for the liberal democrats, hull is an ultra marginal. they have a majority ofjust one seat and have been strongly challenged there by labour, and they have slim majorities of just two seats in cotswold in gloucestershire and also in north devon. of the hung councils, plymouth is a top labour target and portsmouth a top target for the lib dems. and these three councils at the bottom here, rochford, west lindsey and boston, we ll keep a close watch on them because they were conservative at the last election but are now hung after defections. can the conservatives win them back? lots to look out for tonight and tomorrow. our political editor chris mason is here. a chris mason is here. well probably before the full results a well probably before the full results but what are the parties thing tonight?
party the 19705, but in 2021, the labour party lost the 19705, but in 2021, the labour party lost five 5eat5 the 19705, but in 2021, the labour party lost five seats to the conservatives, so there clearly is con5ervative5, so there clearly is some con5ervative5, so there clearly is some volatility going on. exeter, lincoln some volatility going on. exeter, lincoln is some volatility going on. exeter, lincoln is interesting too. that has been lincoln is interesting too. that has been labour 5ince lincoln is interesting too. that has been labour since 2011. but at the been labour 5ince 2011. but at the general been labour since 2011. but at the general election, they lost the seat to the general election, they lost the seat to the conservatives. and it is a fairly to the conservatives. and it is a fairly marginal 5eat. to the conservatives. and it is a fairly marginal seat. the mp has a fairly marginal 5eat. the mp has a majority fairly marginal 5eat. the mp has a majority