Sunak faces two by-election defeats on same day for third time

On Sunday, the Conservatives selected Helen Harrison, the girlfriend of Peter Bone, as their candidate in Wellingborough – Imageplotter/Alamy Stock Photo

Rishi Sunak faces losing two by-elections on the same day for the third time in his premiership when two more contests take place next month.

Voters in Wellingborough and Kingswood will elect new MPs after Simon Hart, the Chief Whip, issued writs for both elections on Thursday.

The by-elections must now take place between 21 and 27 working days after the writs were moved, meaning they are most likely to take place on Feb 15.

Peter Bone, who became the Conservative MP for Wellingborough in 2005, was recalled by his constituents after claims of bullying and sexual misconduct, which he denies, against a member of his staff.

Chris Skidmore, a former energy minister, was the Tory MP for Kingswood from 2010 until last Friday, when he quit over Mr Sunak’s plans to boost oil and gas fields in the North Sea.

Mr Sunak lost two seats on the same day on two occasions last year. The Tories were defeated by Labour in Selby and Ainsty and the Liberal Democrats Somerton and Frome on July 20, before losing Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire to Labour on Oct 19.

Bookmakers have Sir Keir Starmer’s party, which is between 15 and 20 points ahead in the polls, as the odds-on favourite to win both the latest by-elections.

On Sunday, the Conservatives selected Helen Harrison, the girlfriend of Mr Bone, as their candidate in Wellingborough.

Ms Harrison is a county councillor and physiotherapist who was among the directors of Grassroots Out, a Brexit pressure group founded by her partner.

Labour has chosen Genevieve Kitchen, one of its former councillors, while the Liberal Democrats opted for Ana Savage Gunn, a care worker.

Reform UK will field Ben Habib, its deputy leader and a prominent activist who has opposed the Windsor Framework, the revised EU deal struck by Mr Sunak last month.

The insurgent Right-wing party, led by Richard Tice, could damage Tory chances in the seat. At the two by-elections last October, its share of the vote was bigger than the Labour majority in either seat, which effectively gifted Labour both constituencies.

Reform is refusing to participate in the Kingswood by-election because Mr Skidmore had already announced his intention to stand down at this year’s general election, when the Kingswood constituency will be abolished as part of boundary changes.

On Wednesday, the former net zero tsar refused to endorse the Conservatives in the fight to replace him and insisted Mr Sunak should have to face the “electoral consequences” of his new oil and gas push.

“I’m now independent and I’ve said clearly that I’m focusing on net zero,” Mr Skidmore told The Times. “I’ve left party politics behind. I want to work with all political parties that prioritise the energy transition.”

Oil and gas licences that allow drilling in the North Sea will be introduced annually under a new law that was unveiled by the Prime Minister in the King’s Speech.

Daisy Cooper, the deputy Liberal Democrat leader, said: “One of these by-elections is a result of a sexual harassment scandal, and the other an MP who didn’t want to be associated with the Conservative Party any more.

“Even Conservative MPs are tired of this Conservative government, so it’s no wonder the public is crying out for a general election and an end to this chaos.”

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