The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has said he will 'listen' to voters but 'keep going' after the Conservatives suffered two heavy by-election losses. The defeats in Wakefield and in Tiverton and Honiton led to Oliver Dowden resigning as the Tory party co-chairman.
The Lib Dems overturned a 24,000 Conservative majority to take Tiverton and Hointon and Labour regained the West Yorkshire constituency of Wakefield by 4,925 votes from the Tories. Speaking as the Lib Dems called for him to be 'pushed out', Mr Johnson said the party would 'get through this patch'.
Speaking to broadcasters in Kigali, Rwanda, 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."
"I think that what governments also have to recognise is that 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. I think if you look back to last May the truly astonishing thing was we managed to win Hartlepool in very different circumstances.
"What we need to do now is reflect on where voters are, and what they are basically feeling is that we came through Covid well and we took a lot of the right decisions there. But we are facing pressures on the costs of living.
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"We are seeing spikes in fuel prices, energy costs, food costs, that is hitting people. We have to recognise that there is more that we have got to do and we certainly will, we will keep going addressing the concerns of people until we get through this patch."
Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh, meanwhile, said she hopes Tory MPs will now remove their 'deceitful, dishonest leader' following losses in Tiverton and Honiton and Wakefield.
She told BBC Breakfast: "I very much hope that Tory MPs will now reflect and recognise that the British public are sick to death of this Government that wants to divide this country, that wants to play political games, rather than resolve the very many issues that this country is facing.
"We heard time and time again that people are worried about the cost of living, they’re worried about the price of petrol, they’re worried about not being able to afford their weekly shop. Instead of tackling those issues, the Government have turned in on themselves and are trying to score cheap political points with the Labour Party.
"I hope that Tory MPs reflect on that now and finally remove their deceitful, dishonest leader that, quite frankly, treats this country with nothing but contempt."
Tory peer Lord Barwell, who was Theresa May’s chief of staff in No 10, said if the Conservative Party carries on as it is, it is 'sleepwalking to a defeat at the next election'.
He told Sky News he was “very pleased” someone senior in the party seemed to have “finally” recognised this and done something about it, as Oliver Dowden resigned as Tory chairman. He said Boris Johnson's authority was “very significantly diminished” and “draining away”.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey told LBC: “We’ve just had the biggest by-election victory here in Devon. No majority of this size has ever been overturned in a by-election, so I’m pretty chipper today. We are smiling here and the message from Tiverton and Honiton, the people here in Devon, is that Boris Johnson must go. I think they’ve spoken for the whole of the British people and it really is time he left.”
He added that the country was “in chaos” under Mr Johnson’s leadership and the Conservatives appeared to have no plan. The Liberal Democrats had fronted a “positive” campaign in the constituency with policies that had “energised” people while the current Government falters, he said.
“I think it speaks on behalf of people – Boris Johnson really must be pushed out,” Sir Ed said.
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