Important data and comparison points for the Kingswood and Wellingborough by-elections.
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Voting has ended in parliamentary by-elections in Northamptonshire and South Gloucestershire, marking the initial assessments for the major political parties leading up to a national election later this year.
The government is protecting large majorities of over 10,000 in Wellingborough and Kingswood, while Labour is expecting their lead in polls to result in actual votes.
The economic performance of the Conservatives is being scrutinized following the revelation on Thursday that the UK experienced a recession in late 2023.
The Labour party has been embroiled in a controversy over antisemitism and has faced backlash for retracting their promise to allocate £28 billion towards environmental initiatives.
The two competitions are predominantly viewed as a competition between Labour and the Conservatives, however they may also indicate the influence of Reform UK, whose popularity has dramatically increased as they appeal to dissatisfied voters on the conservative side.
If a Tory loss occurs in either constituency, the government will have accumulated more by-election defeats in one term than any other administration since the 1960s.
According to polling expert John Curtice, the Reform party is expected to receive 12 to 13 percent of the votes in Wellingborough.
According to Professor Sir John Curtice, Reform UK’s polling numbers suggest they may receive 12-13% of votes in Wellingborough.
The experienced polling expert stated that Wellingborough, with approximately 63% of voters supporting Brexit, is a constituency that could potentially be receptive to Reform.
He stated that many individuals in the polling industry have been expressing concerns about Reform’s lackluster results in recent parliamentary by-elections, with their highest showing being only 5-6%. This has led to speculation about whether the current 10% support for Reform in opinion polls, which has increased in the last few months, may be an overestimation of their actual strength.
In a way, Wellingborough will provide us with an important indication. It seems that Reform has set a goal for themselves of 10%, but considering how heavily the seat leans towards leaving, one might expect them to aim for something closer to 12 or 13%.
There is mention of Jacob Rees-Mogg possibly attending tonight.
It has been mentioned that Jacob Rees-Mogg may be present at the vote count for the Kingswood by-election this evening.
He is inclined to endorse Tory candidate Sam Bromiley, but he is also concerned as some of the area in this constituency will become part of his present North East Somerset constituency in the upcoming general election because of boundary modifications.
If the Labour party receives significant backing tonight, he may be concerned about the impact this will have on the upcoming voting for the new Hanham and North East Somerset constituency.
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Each candidate running for office in Kingswood has
There are six individuals running in the by-election for the position in Kingswood.
Sam Bromiley (Conservative)
Andrew Brown (Liberal Democrat)
Damien Egan (Labour)
Lorraine Francis (Green)
Rupert Lowe (Reform)
Nicholas Wood (Ukip).
The removal of the electoral district in the upcoming general election, which is required by law to occur no later than January 2025, indicates that the winner of the by-election will only serve as the representative for a short period of time.
Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour party, is supporting Damien Egan as the candidate for the Kingswood by-election.
The initial round of vote tallying for the Kingswood by-election
The first round of vote counting for the Kingswood by-election.
Now ballot boxes have started arriving from polling stations, the first job is to count the papers to provide the turnout figure.
We will receive the number before the vote counting starts.
The anticipated turnout is predicted to be low.
Please keep in mind that this district will no longer exist during the upcoming general election this year. Many locals are expressing frustration over the cost of this by-election, estimated to be around £250,000, and see it as a needless expenditure of resources and time.
This is our report from interviewing individuals on the street.
Welcome to Thornbury
The Kingswood by-election count has begun at the Thornbury leisure centre on a rainy evening.
Before the ballot boxes from the polling stations arrive, we have tallied the postal votes. We have received nearly 9,000 out of the 13,302 that were requested.
The main auditorium is filled with individuals sitting at desks, tallying up the votes.
There is already excitement inside as officials from various parties convene in small groups around the hall.
Everyone is smiling while they wait for the votes to be counted.
The by-election count is currently underway in Thornbury on a rainy evening.
The process of counting has begun in Wellingborough.
The process of tallying has commenced for the Wellingborough by-election at Kettering Leisure Village in Northamptonshire.
Ballot boxes are being delivered to Wellingborough.
The ballot boxes for the Wellingborough by-election have started to arrive at the counting location.
The outcome of the competition to replace former Conservative Member of Parliament Peter Bone, who faced disgrace, is projected to be announced around 4:00am.
Votes being tallied in the Wellingborough special election.
The ruling party, Tories, has a low chance of winning by-elections.
The Conservative party has lowered expectations following the conclusion of polls in the Wellingborough and Kingswood by-elections, stating that it is uncommon for governing parties to emerge victorious.
The party announced that it had put in strong efforts for both seats during the media update, but acknowledged that these by-elections were expected to be challenging.
“The Labour party stated that both of these seats have been won by them in recent times and that the necessary changes needed for victory are smaller compared to previous by-elections.”
The Conservatives have held Kingswood since 2010, whereas Wellingborough last had a Labour MP before the 2006 general election.
The process of tallying has begun in Gloucestershire.
The tally of votes for the Kingswood by-election will take place at the Thornbury Leisure Centre in South Gloucestershire.
The Labour Party stated that although the two seats were not part of their original target list, they are still making progress.
The Labour Party has stated that Wellingborough and Kingswood are not among their targeted areas for the upcoming general election, using strategic spin as the polls came to a close.
Pat McFadden, the leader of the campaign, stated that they take pride in the effective campaigns they have conducted in Kingswood and Wellingborough. They were fully cognizant of the difficulty they faced due to the significant Tory majorities in both constituencies, which were not initially included in their priority list for a general election.
However, Mr McFadden stated that Labour has continuously prioritized addressing the cost of living and has shown tangible advancements in areas that previously supported the Conservative party in the 2019 election.
Source: independent.co.uk
