Boris Johnson Vows to ‘Keep Going’ After Tories Suffer Double By-election Defeat

Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey (right) celebrates with Richard Foord, the newly-elected Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Honiton, with supporters and activist at the Lowman Green Clock Tower in Tiverton, on June 24, 2022. Andrew Matthews /PA Media

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to “keep going” after his leadership suffered a double blow as his ruling Conservative Party lost two crunch by-elections.

In Tiverton and Honiton, where local Conservative MP Neil Parish resigned after admitting he had watched pornography on his phone in the House of Commons, the Liberal Democrats won after a swing of almost 30 percent from the Tories, overturning a 24,000 Conservative majority.

The Liberal Democrat candidate Richard Foord, who secured a majority of 6,144, used his acceptance speech to call for Johnson “to go, and go now,” claiming his victory had “sent a shockwave through British politics.”

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said: “This should be a wake-up call for all those Conservative MPs propping up Boris Johnson. They cannot afford to ignore this result.”

He said it was “time for Conservative MPs to finally do the right thing and sack him.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer meets with new Wakefield MP Simon Lightwood in Ossett Market, West Yorkshire, on June 24, 2022. Danny Lawson /PA Media

In Wakefield, where local Tory MP Imran Ahmad Khan quit after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy, Thursday’s by-election resulted in a 12.7 percent swing from the Tories to Labour.

The new Labour MP Simon Lightwood, who got a majority of 4,925, 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.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said, “Wakefield has shown the country has lost confidence in the Tories. This result is a clear judgment on a Conservative Party that has run out of energy and ideas. Britain deserves better.”

‘Tough Time’

Following the results, Conservative Party co-chairman Oliver Dowden resigned, saying he and Tory supporters are “distressed and disappointed by recent events” and telling Johnson that “someone must take responsibility.”

The prime minister, who is attending a Commonwealth summit in Rwanda, acknowledged on Friday that losing the two constituencies was “tough.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Rwandan President Paul Kagame look on the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at Kigali Convention Centre, in Kigali, Rwanda, on June 24, 2022. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Speaking to broadcasters, Boris Johnson said he would take responsibility, but insisted the cost-of-living crisis was the most important issue for voters and it is “true that, in mid-term, governments post-war lose by-elections.”

“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,” he said.

“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’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.”

PA Media contributed to this report.