Of former culture secretary nadine dorries. Here our political helen kat. These by elections were billed as nail biters. Close, tense. In the end, they delivered two significant victories to labour. First in tamworth the 57th Safest Conservative seat in the country before last night. Edwards, sarah siena, labour party 11,719 votes. Cheering. The new mp was elated. They are seeing the conservatives do not have anything to offer. The defeated conservative candidate chose not to stick around. In a statement the tories described it as a difficult result on a much reduced turnout. But it was about to get even more difficult for them. Over in Mid Bedfordshire, when the ballot boxes started arriving, it had still been too close to call, in a rare three way fight between the conservatives, labour and the lib dems. The liberal democrats doubled their share of the vote, but once again it was labour who emerged victorious. I therefore duly declare Alistair LukeStrathern Elected as Member Of Parliament for the Mid Bedfordshire parliamentary constituency. Cheering. For labour, an emotional reaction. The labour party wouldnt be where it is right now without Keir Starmers leadership. Its the changes hes made, to bring us closer to values that we have here in Mid Bedfordshire, that have been so powerful those values of respect, community first, Country First politics are so important and thats given us the platform weve needed to be able to deliver such a historic result here and set us up for hopefully a historic win going into the next General Election. For the conservatives, another swift exit. And a lot to contemplate defeated in two safe seats with their share of the vote slashed in each. By elections do often throw up surprises these ones could leave behind some significant political aftershocks. Helen catt, bbc news. Lots of reaction to those labour victories this morning. A little earlier this morning, Labour Party Leader sir keir starmer gave reaction to voters in Mid Bedfordshire what a fantastic candidate. Cheering he has not cheering he has no. ,. , he has not only one here, he has made history he has not only one here, he has made history here, he has not only one here, he has made history here, what he has not only one here, he has made history here, what an made history here, what an incredible achievement already, and thank you to all of you through doing all that hard work, for being such a brilliant team. This is such a hard fight. It was such a big majority. It was a three way fight. Every single conversation, every vote she persuaded to come to us was work you have done on behalf of this constituency for a better future, and thank you to all of you for having a positive case that we took out there. This is an incredible night, in politics, and an incredible morning, an incredible result here for so many reasons. It is clear that the voters here have turned their back on a failed tory government. They had enough of the decline of the last 13 years, and they are crying out for change, positive change come up with the labour party can bring them. Positive change that a changed labour party can bring them, building the economy so it raises Living Standards are everywhere across the country, notjust rebuilding our nhs, but taking it forward so that it is fit for the future, making sure that we have the skills and opportunities for all of our young people, everywhere across this country. That is our positive case. We take this incredible victory humbly. We know that voters here have voted for us, and they have put their trust and the confidence in a changed labour party, and we will repay them for that trust and confidence. We do so humbly. People yesterday probably voted tory in the past, and voted for a changed labour party, because they despair at the state of their own party. Im glad that they have seen that our party has changed and they can put their trust and confidence in them, and hope that persuade other voters across the country who may have voted for other parties in the past, the party of the future and the party of national renewal, to reject the decline of the last 13 years, is this changed labour party. We go forward, thank you so much, and an incredible result. Cheering responding to the results overnight, daisy c00per. Responding to the results overnight, daisy c00per. The responding to the results overnight, daisy cooper, the liberal responding to the results overnight, daisy cooper, the liberal democrats | daisy cooper, the liberal democrats Deputy Leader emphasised they had been able to attract conservative voters. , t, been able to attract conservative voters. ,. ,. ,. , been able to attract conservative voters. ,. ,. ,. , voters. This has turned out to be a threeway voters. This has turned out to be a threeway seat. Voters. This has turned out to be a threeway seat, and voters. This has turned out to be a threeway seat, and weve voters. This has turned out to be a| threeway seat, and weve doubled three way seat, and weve doubled our share of the vote and one over the support of thousands and thousands of lifelong conservative voters. Clearly we won a lot of support in more of the rural villages. We know that labourfocus more on the in area, but this success we had has put us on course to win a number of constituencies at the next General Election. Yes. To win a number of constituencies at the next General Election. The next General Election. Yes, but ou can the next General Election. Yes, but you can see the next General Election. Yes, but you can see the the next General Election. Yes, but you can see the problem, the next General Election. Yes, but you can see the problem, and the next General Election. Yes, but you can see the problem, and you | you can see the problem, and you know this well, the reality is that you still came third, and this is at a time when, if the assumption is that people are voting against the conservatives, as in they want to vote somewhere else, people should be coming to you, and the fact is that regardless that your numbers have gone up, it is simply not enough. Being in third place in a place like that, with the gains that youve made, it means you get nowhere, you make no progress. That is not right nowhere, you make no progress. That is not right as nowhere, you make no progress. That is not right. As the nowhere, you make no progress. T� isgit is not right. As the top pollster john curtis is just set in the last few hours, there will be a number of places in the next General Election will be contested by all three parties. The liberal democrats are in second place took on searches of an 80 constituencies around the country. We will focus our resources in those areas, and have a laser like focus on having as many mps as possible in those blue all areas where the liberal democrats areas where the liberal democrats are the key challenges, and the only party that can beat the conservatives in those seats. Can i ask ou, conservatives in those seats. Can i ask you. Did conservatives in those seats. Can i ask you. Did you conservatives in those seats. Can i ask you. Did you go conservatives in those seats. Can i ask you, did you go to conservatives in those seats. Can i ask you, did you go to mid ask you, did you go to Mid Bedfordshire self, were you there . I want a number of times. Can bedfordshire self, were you there . I want a number of times. Can you bedfordshire self, were you there . I l want a number of times. Can you give us our want a number of times. Can you give us your insight want a number of times. Can you give us your insight into want a number of times. Can you give us your insight into what want a number of times. Can you give us your insight into what people us your insight into what people were saying to you on the doorstep about why they werent voting as they previously had, because you have increased your boat, so people have increased your boat, so people have come to you, so what were the reasons they were not sticking with how they voted before . Reasons they were not sticking with how they voted before . There were a number of reasons how they voted before . There were a number of reasons you how they voted before . There were a number of reasons you might how they voted before . There were a l number of reasons you might imagine. For some people it was their frustration and anger at the previous mp, but in large it was anger directed squarely at the government. People are enormously frustrated that they can see a gp, a dentist, that the nhs has been driven into the ground. Many people had seen their mortgages spiral as a result of the mini budget, and the conservatives mismanagement of the economy. With the nhs and the cost of living, the government wasnt speaking to them. The government wasnt focused On The Issues that were facing them day in, day out. They were incredibly angry about the squabbling, the scandals, the mismanagement and incompetence. There was a huge amount of anger and fury on the doorstep. I was speaking to people yesterday on polling day, people in their 80s and 90s, lifelong conservative voters who had never voted for any other Political Party in their lifetime, many of them said they were voting for the liberal democrats for the very first time because there were so angry at the way the conservative government is performing. As i say, if that is replicated at the next General Election, the liberal democrats are on course, we hope, to win dozens of seats. ,. W on course, we hope, to win dozens of seats. ,. , ~. , on course, we hope, to win dozens of seats. ,. , on course, we hope, to win dozens of seats. ,. , seats. Daisy cooper speaking to us a little earlier. Seats. Daisy cooper speaking to us a little earlier. We seats. Daisy cooper speaking to us a little earlier. We will seats. Daisy cooper speaking to us a little earlier. We will hear seats. Daisy cooper speaking to us a little earlier. We will hear from little earlier. We will hear from the conservatives in the next few minutes, but i want to talk to our Political Correspondent, nick eardley, who is in Mid Bedfordshire, and our Political Correspondent in tamworth. Henry, it is a night of history and a lot of headlines of the conservatives dont want to be waking up to this morning . It is the conservatives dont want to be waking up to this morning . Waking up to this morning . It is a completely waking up to this morning . It is a completely disastrous waking up to this morning . It is a completely disastrous night waking up to this morning . It is a completely disastrous night for i waking up to this morning . It 3 completely disastrous night for the conservative party. Tamworth, where i am, it is the second biggest swing, percentage change in the vote from conservative to labour since the end of the second world war. Inaudible we are going to fix your microphone, because were getting a bit of break up because were getting a bit of break up on it, so let me go to nick first. A light of records, not the sort of records the tories will want to be recording this morning . Absolutely, but once that delight labour, absolutely, but once that delight labour, ben. The seat i am in, Mid Bedfordshire, labour had never won it before bedfordshire, labour had never won it before it bedfordshire, labour had never won it before. It was one of the safest tory it before. It was one of the safest tory seats it before. It was one of the safest tory seats in the country. One by 20000 tory seats in the country. One by 20000 tory seats in the country. One by 20000 they won by 25,000 votes, so what 20000 they won by 25,000 votes, so what we 20000 they won by 25,000 votes, so what we saw last night was extraordinary, labourwinning so what we saw last night was extraordinary, labour winning the seat for extraordinary, labour winning the seat for the first time ever, overturning the biggest majority ever overturned at a by election. It feels ever overturned at a by election. It feels like ever overturned at a by election. It feels like a ever overturned at a by election. It feels like a real moment. The question feels like a real moment. The question people are asking this morning question people are asking this morning is, is at the moment that a labour morning is, is at the moment that a Labour Victory in the General ElectionLabour Victory in the General Election became pretty much inevitable, like it was almost not going inevitable, like it was almost not going to inevitable, like it was almost not going to be stopped . I was chatting to keir going to be stopped . I was chatting to keir starmer about 20 minutes ago on bbc to keir starmer about 20 minutes ago on bbc breakfast, and he was saying, look, on bbc breakfast, and he was saying, look. We on bbc breakfast, and he was saying, look, we dont want to get ahead of ourselves, look, we dont want to get ahead of ourselves, theres still a lot of work ourselves, theres still a lot of work to ourselves, theres still a lot of work to do, but it is hard not see the increasing levels of confidence in the the increasing levels of confidence in the labour party when you speak to people in the labour party when you speak to people like its leader, keir starmeh to people like its leader, keir starmer. He is saying it is a game changer. Starmer. He is saying it is a game changer. I starmer. He is saying it is a game changer, i shows labour can challenge in parts of the country where challenge in parts of the country where they have never challenged before where they have never challenged before. We should point out that by elections and General Elections can he by elections and General Elections can be very different things. Chatting can be very different things. Chatting to senior labour people this morning, they say they really dont this morning, they say they really dont want this morning, they say they really dont want to get ahead of ourselves here dont want to get ahead of ourselves here the dont want to get ahead of ourselves here. The worst possible thing would be complacency. As we say, having been be complacency. As we say, having been to be complacency. As we say, having been to a be complacency. As we say, having been to a few of these by elections are in been to a few of these by elections are in the been to a few of these by elections are in the past few months now, you caniust are in the past few months now, you caniust see are in the past few months now, you canjust see every time labour have one of canjust see every time labour have one of these canjust see every time labour have one of these big swings in their favour. One of these big swings in their favour, their confidence grows and the prospect of them forming the next government probably next year seems next government probably next year seems to next government probably next year seems to be all the more likely. Nick, seems to be all the more likely. Nick, stay seems to be all the more likely. Nick, stay with us, i want to go back to henry in tamworth, and that is the point, isnt it, what the government will say is that you cant read a lot into these results, they dont determine a General Election, but with swings of this sort, they could do exactly that, couldnt they . Sort, they could do exactly that, couldnt they . These results dont determine general couldnt they . These results dont determine General Elections, couldnt they . These results dont| determine General Elections, sure, but there is plenty that you can read into them. Governments dont generally lose by elections on swings like this, which is why we have spent all morning talking about how historic scales of these defeats are. The government to try and pass this off as some kind of mid term i think underplays the scale of what happened last night. One specific thing to do with tamworth that is very important to understand is that tamworth voted very strongly to leave the European Union in 2016, and it is a big reason why, in seats like this, in all different parts of the country but especially around here in the West Midlands and also the north, labours vote really fell away at the 2019 General Election, where the conservatives won a landslide. Last night suggests, just suggests, that some of those voters who backed brexit now have forgiven the labour party for opposing brexit and for wanting a second referendum, or at least are willing to vote on different issues. If that is true all over the country, and strong brexit supporting areas, that opens up brexit supporting areas, that opens up a whole new class of seat for the labour party at the next General Election, which we are expecting next year, where they could prosper. That could suggest a very dark period for the conservative party at the next General Election. Band period for the conservative party at the next General Election. The next General Election. And the government the next General Election. And the government will the next General Election. And the go