Boris Johnson insisted he was “full of optimism and vitality” as he awaited the results of two by-elections, which could have significant consequences for his leadership.
Elections in Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton were closed after races sparked by Conservative MPs who resigned in disgrace.
With Labor challenging the Red Wall in West Yorkshire and the Liberal Democrats hoping to overturn a huge conservative majority in Devon, the Tory defeat could raise further questions about Mr Johnson’s position just weeks after 41% of his MPs said that they don’t. trust him.
The Prime Minister will follow the results from Rwanda, where he attended the meeting of the leaders of the British community.
Speaking to TV operators in the capital, Kigali, Mr Johnson said: “I will watch the results with interest, but always full of optimism and vitality, but most experienced political observers know that mid-term mid-term elections are never necessarily easy for everyone. government. “
He suggested it would be “crazy” for him to step down if the party lost both seats, and said he was “very hopeful” of the results.
In Wakefield, former Conservative MP Imran Ahmad Khan resigned after being convicted of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy – a crime he was jailed for 18 months.
Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie Johnson arrive in Kigali, Rwanda
(PA)
Wakefield was one of the so-called red-wall seats won by the Tories in the 2019 general election, after being a stronghold of Labor in the 1930s, but now Labor is hoping to regain it.
At Devon’s Tiverton and Honiton, Neil Parish, a 2010 Tory MP, resigned after admitting to watching pornography on his phone in the House of Commons.
The Liberal Democrats are the main rival in this rural southwestern constituency, where they hope to recreate the victories in the by-elections in North Shropshire in December and Chesham and Amersham a year ago.
A victory for the Liberal Democrats would require the abolition of the Conservative majority of 24,239, but the party’s leader, Sir Ed Davey, was convinced that they were “on the doorstep” of the Tories on the eve of the vote.
Residents are fed up with Boris Johnson’s lies and disregard, he said as he urged them to support his party’s candidate, former soldier Richard Ford.
“Farmers have been sold off by foreign trade deals, people are struggling with access to GPs and dentists, and local roads and schools have been left to crumble.
“Families are facing rising bills for petrol and food prices, and the only response from this government is to burden them with steady tax increases.”
The prime minister called on voters to “stick to British food and agriculture”, backing Tory Helen Herford, a former head teacher.
In a video shared on social media on Wednesday, Mr Johnson appeared with the candidate on a farm, saying the party was working to protect “our fantastic food and agricultural industry and the” amazing agricultural sector “.
The loss of the Tory fortress will be seen as a sign of Mr Johnson’s declining post-party electoral attractiveness and against the backdrop of the cost of living crisis, and could provoke further reaction against his rule.
The Tories face a steeper challenge to retain Wakefield’s place, with Labor now the favorites with a 2019 Conservative majority overrun.
Tory candidate Nadim Ahmed raised his eyebrows, arguing last week that voters should trust the party following Mr Hahn’s verdict of sexual assault, just as they still trust GPs despite the crimes of mass murderer Harold Shipman.
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer said the victory in the northern constituency “could be the birthplace of the next Labor government”.
On the eve of the opening of the polls, he said: “The public is fed up with Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party, which promises big but never fulfills.
“Labor candidate Simon Lightwood has run a positive campaign – with a plan to attract well-paid jobs and investment in Wakefield, put more police on the streets to tackle anti-social behavior and fight to end the unfair increase in national security.
“But voting for anyone but Labor will leave Boris Johnson off the hook. The people of Wakefield have a chance to send a message to the Tories that it is enough.
If the Conservatives lose both by-elections, it will be only the seventh time that a government has suffered such a double defeat since World War II.
Report from the press association.
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