Defiant Boris Johnson has said he will “keep going” after the Tories suffered a devastating double by-election defeat.
The Prime Minister defied calls to resign during a trip to Rwanda after losing Wakefield to Labour and Tiverton and Honiton to the Lib Dems in a bruising night.
He had already told the Mirror before the result that it would be "crazy" for him to resign if he lost both polls.
But that comment came under fresh pressure this morning when Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden quit.
In a searing letter - minutes before he was due to defend the PM on national media - Mr Dowden said somebody had to take responsibility adding: "We cannot carry on with business as usual." He pointedly added he would stay loyal - to the Conservative Party.
No sitting Prime Minister has lost two by-elections in a single day since Tory John Major in 1991, and the Lib Dems said Tiverton and Honiton was the most dramatic overturning of a result in by-election history.
Speaking to broadcasters in Kigali this morning, the Prime Minister said: “It’s absolutely true we’ve had some tough by-election results.
"They've been I think a reflection of a lot of things but we’ve got to recognise voters are going through a tough time at the moment.
“I think as a Government I’ve got to listen to what people are saying, in particular to the difficulties people are facing over the cost of living, which I think for most people is the number one issue.
“We’re now facing pressures on the cost of living we’re seeing spikes in fuel prices, energy costs, food costs - that’s hitting people.
“We’ve got to recognise there is more we’ve got to do and we certainly will, we will keep going addressing the concerns of people until we get through this patch.”
Boris Johnson was waking up 4,000 miles from home today to the devastating results.
The Prime Minister will give a speech at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda - alongside dignitaries from 54 nations and Prince Charles.
He was due to speak to broadcasters and give a press conference in the capital Kigali.
Asked if the result was "about you" the PM said: “That may be your view.. I don’t want to minimise the importance of what voters are saying, but it is also true that in mid-term government post-war lose by-elections."
In an interview with Channel 4 News, Mr Johnson insisted: "I of course take responsibility for the electoral performance of the Government."
He tried to defend his record by highlighting how the Tories won Hartlepool from Labour in May 2021.
He said: “Without in any way wishing to minimise the lesson from by-elections - it was only a little over a year ago we won a Labour seat.”
In a night of high drama, Labour won back the Red Wall seat of Wakefield and the Liberal Democrats overturned a 24,000 Tory majority in Tiverton and Honiton.
Labour leader Keir Starmer said the "country has lost confidence in the Tories", saying that the Conservatives had "run out of energy and ideas".
He said: “Wakefield has shown the country has lost confidence in the Tories.
“This result is a clear judgement on a Conservative Party that has run out of energy and ideas. Britain deserves better. Wakefield has voted Labour because we have the solutions for the challenges facing the British people.
“The Labour Party is back on the side of working people, winning seats where we lost before, and ready for government.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: “The Liberal Democrats have made political history with this stunning win. It is the biggest by-election victory our country has ever seen.
“This should be a wake-up call for all those Conservative MPs propping up Boris Johnson. They cannot afford to ignore this result."
In Wakefield, Simon Lightwood was elected to the Yorkshire seat with a majority of 4,925 on a swing of 12.7% from the Tories to Labour.
The previous Wakefield MP Imran Ahmad Khan quit after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy - a crime for which he was jailed for 18 months.
Wakefield was one of the Red Wall seats won by the Tories in the 2019 election after being Labour since the 1930s.
Mr Lightwood said: "The people of Wakefield have spoken on behalf of the British people. They have said, unreservedly: Boris Johnson, your contempt for this country is no longer tolerated."
In a major upset, the Liberal Democrats overturned a 24,000 Tory majority to win in Tiverton and Honiton.
The contest in the Devon seat was triggered by the resignation of Conservative Neil Parish after admitting he had watched pornography on his phone in the House of Commons.
A dramatic swing of almost 30% from the Tories to the Liberal Democrats saw Richard Foord secure a majority of 6,144.
The new Lib Dem MP used his acceptance speech to call for Mr Johnson "to go, and go now", claiming his victory had "sent a shockwave through British politics".
