More reaction now from the Conservatives - with two MPs on the right of the party calling for changes in the wake of last night's by-election defeats.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, external, former cabinet minister Sir John Redwood says low turnouts in by-elections can produce big swings - and show people "want something better than all the main parties are offering".

"Many people want the government to stop the boats, improve the quality and efficiency of services and cut taxes to get some growth," he adds.

Also on X, Dame Andrea Jenkyns highlights "voter apathy".

She calls, external for "far-reaching major changes now to instil confidence in the Conservative voters".

There's lots of fresh reaction coming in this morning to not one but two huge by-election wins for Labour, both with swings of over 20%.

But if you're just catching up, let's have a quick look back at some of the best quotes of the night:

Conservative Party chairman Greg Hands has been facing questions on BBC Breakfast about the Tories' double defeat overnight.

He says it's disappointing to lose both by-elections - but "the biggest problem was previous Conservative voters staying at home", adding that the turnouts were very low.

"It was principally a problem we need to find better ways to energise our Conservative voters to come out and support the government."

There was a lot of fury about the background to the by-elections, he says - but adds: "It is right that a number of our voters are unhappy with the government, we clearly have a job to do to win them back into our column."

But, he argues, governments traditionally don't win by-elections and he didn't meet a single person in Mid Beds who said the solution to their problems was Sir Keir Starmer or the Lib Dems.

Image source, Reuters

Labour's campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden says it was a "really fantastic night" for his party, "against all the odds" because both seats were previously considered safe for the Conservatives.

The results show voters are turning away from the Tories to a "much-changed" Labour Party, he tells BBC Breakfast.

But, he adds, the party can not afford to rest on its laurels, because there is "still a great deal to do" after Labour's "very bad" election defeat in 2019.

McFadden emphasises the point, saying trust is "such a precious and fragile thing" and there is still a long way to go for Labour to win the next election.

Louise Parry
BBC News Online - East

Image source, Louise Parry/BBC

In Flitwick in Bedfordshire constituents are saying they are shocked to see Labour take the Mid Bedfordshire seat.

John, 57, a cable engineer, says that "being a Conservative area it is quite a shock".

He tells me that based on conversations he's had and what he has read he thought the Liberal Democrats might take the seat instead - but on Labour's win says "it’s like Tesco and everyone changing to Aldi, we’ll just have to wait and see."

Meanwhile Delia Clegg, also 57, says "it's about time we had a difference around here" upon hearing the news.

Image source, Louise Parry/BBC

She says given the "big campaign" by Labour she would have "been surprised" if Alistair Strathern had not won.

Speaking of what she wants her new MP to work on, she says: “I want better infrastructure in towns, especially our town because it’s expanding so much that our schools, doctors, dentists everything is really under strain."

As the Conservatives assess their losses and Labour celebrate two victories, the Newscast team are providing further analysis, live on this page, over the next hour.

To join Adam Fleming, Paddy O'Connell and Alex Forsyth click the play button on the video at the top of this page.

Guests coming up include polling guru John Curtice, political editor Chris Mason and broadcaster Jeremy Vine.

Here's how the night unfolded after polls closed at 22:00 BST on Thursday...

Speaking about her victory in Tamworth, new Labour MP Sarah Edwards said voters in the constituency had felt let down by their previous MP, Chris Pincher.

"Both the conduct and the lack of visibility - the fact that he was not around for the best part of a year and a half has left people feeling let down, unrepresented," she said

"They [voters] haven't had a voice in Tamworth, they haven't felt proud of their MP and I think they are feeling like they deserve better."

The by-election here was triggered by the resignation of Tory MP Pincher after losing an appeal against a proposed Commons suspension for drunkenly groping two men at a private members club.

One of Tories' worst by-election nights everpublished at 07:11 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

07:11 BST 20 October 2023

Chris Mason
Political editor

Superlatives should be deployed judiciously in reporting politics; exaggerations abound almost daily. But their outings this morning are justified.

Labour has done not just well but outstandingly well.

The Conservatives not just poorly, but dismally - one of their worst by-election nights ever.

It is the first time Labour has made two by-election gains on the same day since 1962.

No government has previously lost so safe a seat as Tamworth to the principal opposition party in a by-election.

Tamworth, incidentally, very strongly backed Leave in the EU referendum. The result in Mid Bedfordshire breaks the record for the largest numerical majority overturned at a by-election.

Expect a measured reaction from the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, as he hurtles from Bedfordshire to Staffordshire today, acknowledging the scale of the task Labour faces in winning a general election.

It is a task results like these suggest is increasingly likely. The scale of these defeats for the Conservatives mirrors the doom loop of losses that afflicted them before their crushing defeat in the 1997 general election.

Image source, PA Media

Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper says she is disappointed not to have won either by-election, but "incredibly proud" the party almost doubled its share of the vote in Mid Bedfordshire.

She tells BBC Breakfast "thousands of lifelong Conservatives" there, particularly in rural villages, voted Lib Dem, making the party instrumental in defeating the Tories.

If that result was replicated in a general election, she adds, her party would be in contention to win dozens of seats from the Conservatives.

Ms Cooper says there are 80 constituencies where the Lib Dems came second to the Tories in 2019, and where only they can challenge them.

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent

We’re expecting Keir Starmer to travel to Mid Beds this morning for a victory event.

He’s already called the results overnight phenomenal.

Image source, Getty Images

Labour made history in Mid Bedfordshire, overcoming a 24,664 Tory majority to win the seat for the first time.

Earlier we head from shadow cabinet member Peter Kyle, who led Labour's campaign in the constituency and was at the count in Shefford where he saw Labour clinch victory.

"Make no bones about it, this is a political earthquake that has unfolded here," he told the PA news agency.

"This is the biggest by-election shock in history, it is a political earthquake and it is one that is sending an unignorable message to Westminster and to Rishi Sunak that this country deserves better."

Results like these at a general election would mean Tory annihilationpublished at 06:48 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

06:48 BST 20 October 2023

Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent

Image source, PA Media

It was a stunningly bad night for the Conservative Party. Historically bad.

If replicated at a general election, results like last night’s wouldn’t just mean Conservative defeat - they would mean Conservative annihilation.

The Labour victory in Mid Bedfordshire is the largest numerical majority ever overturned in a by-election in history. If you look at it in terms of percentages instead, then Tamworth is the second-biggest swing from the Conservatives to Labour at a by-election since 1945.

It’s not uncommon for some Conservative MPs privately to say that they don’t believe the national opinion polls, which for some time now have consistently displayed large Labour leads. They say that when they speak to voters there is frustration with the government, yes, but apathy towards the Labour Party and especially Sir Keir Starmer.

Well, these results suggest that the national polls are broadly right. And if this is what apathy looks like, Labour can no doubt live with that.

Other Conservative MPs acknowledge the fairly bleak picture but argue that they have never known the public be more volatile, more willing to change their minds.

Here there may be some small comfort for the Conservatives. Many voters appear to have changed their minds about the Labour Party extremely quickly. What’s to say they can’t change their minds about the Conservative Party between now and the general election? Rishi Sunak will spend the next year arguing, as at his party’s conference earlier this month, that he embodies the change voters want.

If he can pull that off and win the Conservatives a fifth term in government, it would be an extraordinary feat. These are not normal government mid-term blues. It’s getting late.

Responding to the Tamworth defeat, a Conservative spokesman said: "This is a difficult result on much-reduced turnout.

"But it's important to see it in context. The government of the day rarely wins by-elections and there were specific reasons around the nature of the departure of the previous MP." The seat's former MP was Chris Pincher, who resigned after drunkenly groping two men.

"It's disappointing that Andy Cooper has not won, he has lived there his whole life and knows the issues local people are facing," the spokesman added.

"He will continue to fight for the people of Tamworth in his role as a local councillor."

Rob Corp
Live reporter

That's it from the overnight team - we're handing the page now to Francesca Gillett who with her team of writers will take over our continuing coverage.

Coming up we have the BBC's breakfast shows and will bring you the best quotes and reaction from politicians on Today on Radio 4, BBC Breakfast and 5 Live Breakfast.

We also expect to get further analysis from BBC political correspondents and pundits over the coming hours.

This page was written by Thomas Mackintosh and Becky Morton.

Labour delighted, but avoiding complacencypublished at 06:10 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

06:10 BST 20 October 2023

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent

Image source, PA Media

There’s no doubt these results are a big deal for Labour.

The party has been growing in confidence in recent months - this will only continue after these historic victories.

But, I’d expect to hear the party trying to stay grounded this morning.

Labour insiders are highlighting the scale of the challenge they still face if they are going to win a majority at the general election.

They are delighted, but don’t want to be seen as complacent.

As we've been reporting, Labour has won by-elections in two seats which had huge Conservative majorities - including Mid Bedfordshire which has only returned Tories to Westminster since 1931.

Alistair Strathern, a former maths teacher, is now the area's Labour MP following a night in which the party also overturned a Tory majority of almost 20,000 in Tamworth, Staffordshire.

Take a look at some of the pictures from the night below.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Getty Images

Conservative former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland has told BBC News his party now needs to focus on the issues which matter most to voters rather than fighting each other about who could succeed Rishi Sunak as party leader.

He told the BBC: "I think that as Conservatives, we now need to make it very clear what the next five years is going to look like, and that's what I'm looking for from the prime minister and our leaders.

"I'm not looking for academic arguments about issues that are not going to swing voters. I'm looking for serious, grown-up approaches to the issues that really matter - on the economy, on housing, on the future for our young people.

"We've got some good Conservative answers to these issues. Let's hear them and let's hear nothing else in the next 12 months."

Image source, Getty Images

Historic swings for Labour spell trouble for Toriespublished at 05:19 British Summer Time 20 October 2023

05:19 BST 20 October 2023

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent

The two results overnight are huge moments. Both of these seats were won comfortably by the Conservatives at the last election - they should be safe Tory territory.

But their vote collapsed. What we’ve seen is two results of historic significance.

The result in Mid Bedfordshire is the biggest majority to ever be overturned at a by-election. Nadine Dorries won by 24,664 just four years ago.

The result in Tamworth is the second biggest swing from the Conservatives to Labour since World War Two.

Labour have now won four by-elections with big swings in recent months - the others are Selby and Rutherglen.

A lot could happen before a general election. People sometimes vote differently at general elections than they do at by-elections.

But the trend of big swings to Labour is hard to ignore.

It’s hugely encouraging news for Sir Keir Starmer as he eyes up a Labour majority. It’s a nightmare for Rishi Sunak and his MPs.

Thomas Mackintosh
Live reporter

It has been a busy few hours - particularly the one between 3am and 4am...

• Labour have dealt Rishi Sunak a double by-election blow after the party seized two rock-solid Conservative seats
• The seats in contention, Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth, were held by Nadine Dorries and Chris Pincher, respectively, and were considered safe with huge and healthy majorities
• In Tamworth Labour's candidate Sarah Edwards overturned a majority of more than 19,000
• In her victory speech, she said the result was "historic"
• It was a similar result in Mid Bedfordshire where Alistair Strathern flipped a Tory majority of nearly 25,000
• Turnout was low in both with 36% in Tamworth and 44% in mid Bedfordshire
• Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer hailed the victories as "phenomenal"