Labour win West Lancashire by-election with majority of over 8,300
Labour wins West Lancashire by-election with majority of more than 8,300 as Rishi Sunak’s Tories fail to make inroads
- Ms Dalton, who works part-time for local charity, won more than 14,000 votes
- She comfortably saw off Tory hopeful Mike Prendergast, who received 5,742
Labour have won the West Lancashire by-election, with Ashley Dalton holding the seat for the party.
The Labour candidate won more 14,068, comfortably seeing off Tory hopeful Mike Prendergast, who received 5,742.
Bitterly cold conditions on polling day and the expectation of an easy Labour hold contributed to turnout of less than 32 per cent.
The by-election was triggered after Labour MP Rosie Cooper, who represented the constituency for 17 years, accepted the role of chairwoman of the Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust.
Labour’s Ashley Dalton celebrates after being declared the winner in the West Lancashire by-election at Burscough Racquet and Fitness Centre in Ormskirk, Lancashire
Ms Dalton, who works part-time for a local charity, received more than 14,000 votes as Rishi Sunak ‘s Tories failed to make inroads
The vote on Thursday came after she announced her resignation late last year, saying: ‘This appointment means I am unable to continue with my other passion of representing the people of West Lancashire as their MP, being their voice and fighting their corner, as I have done since 2005.’
Polls opened at 7am in the constituency, which Ms Cooper last won in 2019 with a majority of 8,336 – around half of all ballots cast.
Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour, which is enjoying a significant lead in the polls against Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives, were confident of holding the seat.
Six candidates bidded to succeed Ms Cooper, with Labour’s Ashley confident of becoming the area’s next MP.
Polls ahead of the vote had predicted the Conservatives would suffer the worst result in the seat’s history, falling to a vote share of 26 percent – while Labour would increase from 52 percent to 63 percent.
The Conservatives came second in the last election, polling just over 19,000 votes, with the Liberal Democrats in third.
The seat has been held by Labour for the last 31 years, having been won from the Conservatives in 1992.
Polls closed at 10pm on Thursday after a day of voting in the West Lancashire constituency
Ballot papers are sorted and verified during the count for the West Lancashire by-election at Burscough Racquet and Fitness Centre in Ormskirk
Labour MP Rosie Cooper announced her resignation as an MP in late 2022 to pursue her career in the NHS
It was the latest by-election test for Mr Sunak since entering Downing Street last October and comes amid a cost-of-living crisis, soaring inflation and a wave of industrial action across the UK.
New Tory chairman Greg Hands, who replaced the sacked Nadhim Zahawi this week, has been charged with steering his party towards the local elections in May amid pressure on the Prime Minister to get his party in fighting shape ahead of the next general election in around 18 months time.
Polls closed at 10pm on Thursday, with results released at around 2am on Friday.
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