Rishi Sunak is facing his first test at the ballot box as voters go to the polls to choose a new City of Chester MP. The contest will give both Labour and the Tories a glimpse into how voters are reacting to a tumultuous six months for the Government, as it marks the first Westminster by-election since Boris Johnson’s defenestration and the market chaos that defined Liz Truss’s short stint in No 10.
The vote is to replace former Labour MP Christian Matheson, who resigned his Commons seat after complaints of "serious sexual misconduct" were upheld by a parliamentary watchdog. Mr Matheson, who denied the allegations, was facing a four-week suspension and had been asked to resign by Labour before he quit.
Polling stations will open at 7am and close at 10pm on Thursday, with the result expected in the early hours of Friday morning. Labour is expected to hold on to the City of Chester seat, having won it in 2019 for the third time in a row with a majority of 6,164.
