The Conservative Party has slumped to an historic defeat in the West Lancashire Parliamentary by-election .
The Tories recorded their worst ever result in the constituency as Labour's Ashley Dalton ran out a comfortable winner to become the new Member of Parliament for West Lancashire.
Ms Dalton replaces veteran Labour MP Rosie Cooper in the role after she announced she was stepping down last year. Labour won with 62.3% of the vote - a major improvement on the 52% per cent they recorded in the 2019 General Election and the party's highest ever vote share in the constituency.
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It was a dismal night for the Conservatives, with their candidate Mike Prendergast, recording just 25.4% of the votes - a drop of more than 10% from their last showing and comfortably beating their 1997 result as the worst they have ever recorded in West Lancashire. This was Rishi Sunak's first electoral test as Prime Minister and will pile yet more pressure on his faltering leadership.
For Labour leader Keir Starmer this result will be seen as yet more evidence that his Labour Party are on track for a comfortable General Election victory when it arrives.
Ms Dalton, a trade unionist and long-time Labour campaigner told the audience at the Burscough Racquet Club that people have had enough of the Conservatives and that it was now time for a Labour government.
She said: “It is a huge honour to be elected the Member of Parliament for West Lancashire. Lancashire is the place I grew up and I am proud to still call it home today.”
“Despite the cold weather, I have been heartened by how warm our reception was on the doorstep and I am thankful to every single person who voted Labour.”
“It’s clear from the result, and from the conversations I have had with voters throughout the campaign, that the public want a change of government.
“The Conservative Party are failing to lead the country, after 13 years of this government, nothing in this country seems to work anymore. The Tories broke it – and they are too distracted by chaos of their own making to fix it.”
She added: “Keir Starmer is the only political leader in Britain who understands what the country is going through and has a plan to sort it out. We have the ambitious, bold but practical policies that speak to people’s priorities. Together, they will show the fairer, greener future Britain would have with Labour.”
“The people of West Lancashire have put their trust in the Labour Party and we will not let them down."
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