this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2023
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UK Politics

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General Discussion for politics in the UK.
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Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives on Friday suffered two crushing UK parliamentary by-election defeats but averted a “3-0” drubbing by unexpectedly holding on to Boris Johnson’s old Uxbridge seat.

The grave problems facing the British prime minister were highlighted when the opposition Labour party secured its biggest-ever by-election win in the once-safe Tory seat of Selby and Ainsty in Yorkshire.

Earlier the centrist Liberal Democrats demolished a massive Tory majority to win the seat of Somerton and Frome, opening up a dangerous new front for Sunak in the Tory heartlands of England’s South West.

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[–] EmrysOfTheLake@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Shall we also mention the swing? From a fairly good majority of 7,200 in a constituency that been very Tory even in its previous boundaries going to a majority of 495 votes after a recount that is not a resounding victory for the tories but a close escape.

[–] frankPodmore@slrpnk.net 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I saw some people pointing out that Uxbridge has a big university and all the students have just gone home for the summer. We shouldn't put too much emphasis on hypotheticals but it genuinely could've swung the by-election for Labour if it had been held during term time.

[–] mannycalavera@feddit.uk 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Students couldn't possibly vote by post. They couldn't possibly!

[–] frankPodmore@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 year ago

Fair point. Like I said, we shouldn't put too much on hypotheticals.

[–] mackwinston@feddit.uk 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Don't students vote in their home constituencies, not the ones where they study?

[–] smeg@feddit.uk 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Up to them where they want to register (unless it's changed since I were a lad)

[–] M1n1f1g@feddit.uk 2 points 1 year ago

You can actually register in both, which is useful for local elections where you can vote in both. But in a general election, you can only vote in one. I assume that you can vote in any byelections.

[–] frankPodmore@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 year ago

They can choose either!