Reform gets best by-election result so far this Parliament
One notable aspect of the Kingswood result is the performance of Reform UK, which came in third place with 10.4% of the vote.
It's the party's best by-election result so far this Parliament and since it rebranded from its previous name, the Brexit Party, in 2021.
The figure is broadly similar to its current ratings in national polls - and well above what it achieved in recent by-elections in Tamworth (5%) and Mid Bedfordshire (4%).
Looking like Wellingborough result could be close
Andrew Sinclair
BBC Look East political correspondent
At the Wellingborough count, there is a feeling that we could be getting close to a result.
Many of the tables have stopped counting, all the candidates are now here and gathered in small groups with their supporters.
The high Sheriff of Northamptonshire has arrived in his regalia and is chatting to the candidates.
'So much to do' in Kingswood, says new MP
More now from the new MP in Kingswood, Damien Egan, who says that winning the seat "feels amazing" but that there's "so much to do".
He tells BBC News: “The things that our residents are telling us are the things that Keir
and the Labour Party have been talking about – the NHS, cost of living crisis,
community policing.
“Kingswood is a beautiful part of Bristol, but it is one
that feels neglected after 14 years of Conservative government.”
Asked whether he's confident Labour could win the next general election, he says: “You can never take anything for granted."
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Kingswood result 'not as bad as expected' - Rees-Mogg
BBCCopyright: BBC
Conservative MP and former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, who represents the nearby seat of North East Somerset, says the result in Kingswood is "not as bad as I'd expected".
He points out that if you add together the Reform UK and Conservative vote it is more than Labour's - and that the Labour Party previously held the seat from 1997 to 2010.
Asked if Reform cost the Tories the by-election, he tells the BBC: "I wouldn’t like to put it that way because a party doesn’t have
a divine right to voters - we have to win them to vote for us."
He adds: "But there is a lot of common ground between the
Conservative Party and the Reform Party and therefore we need to make sure we
appeal to those voters."
Rees-Mogg insists support for Rishi Sunak's leadership is "solid" and "by-elections don't change that".
He says the party can be reassured to some extent by the low turnout as a lot of Tory voters appeared to stay at home.
"I think a general election focuses people’s minds in a different way to
a by-election," he adds.
Country is at a crossroads, says new Labour MP for Kingswood
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
In his victory speech a short time ago, Labour's winning candidate in Kingswood, Damien Egan, thanked voters for "giving me your trust and for allowing me to serve the community that I'm from".
“In Kingswood, as across the country, 14 years of Conservative
government have sucked the hope out of our country," he says.
“There’s a feeling that no matter how hard you work, you just
can’t move forward and that with Rishi’s recession we’re left again paying more
and getting less."
He says the country is "at a crossroads" and urges people to "choose a changed Labour Party" rather than "more managed decline, more chaos, more division" under the Tories.
Swing of 16.4% from Tories to Labour in Kingswood
There was a 16.4% swing from the Conservatives to Labour in Kingswood - some way above the 11.4% the party needed to win the seat.
Labour wins Kingswood with more than 2,000 majority
Hannah Miller
Political correspondent
.Copyright: .
Labour has overturned a Conservative majority of more than 11,000 to win the Kingswood by-election with a majority of more than 2,000.
"Fourteen years of Conservative government have sucked the hope out of our country," the new MP Damien Egan says in his winning speech.
Conservatives came second, with Reform beating the Green Party to the spot for third place.
Starmer hails 'fantastic' Kingswood result
Labour leader Keir Starmer says the result in Kingswood is "fantastic" for his party and "shows people are ready to put their trust in a Labour government".
"By
winning in this Tory stronghold, we can confidently say that Labour is back in
the service of working people and we will work tirelessly to deliver for them," he says in a statement.
"To
those who have put their trust in us, you can be safe in the knowledge that the
Labour Party will deliver on your priorities. Labour will give Britain its
future back."
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Labour Party candidate Damien Egan celebrated winning the Kingswood by-electionImage caption: Labour Party candidate Damien Egan celebrated winning the Kingswood by-election
Kingswood results in full
Here is the breakdown of the Kingswood by-election in full:
Labour: 11,176
Conservatives: 8,675
Reform UK: 2,578
Green Party: 1,450
Liberal Democrats: 861
UKIP: 129
BreakingLabour gains Kingswood
Labour has won the Kingswood by-election, overturning a
majority of more than 11,000.
We’ll bring you the full result in a moment.
In pictures: Count continues in Kingswood and Wellingborough
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
Ballot boxes in Kingswood are emptied as the polls closeImage caption: Ballot boxes in Kingswood are emptied as the polls close
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Counting is also under way in WellingboroughImage caption: Counting is also under way in Wellingborough
BBCCopyright: BBC
Rick the Flying Brick, from the Monster Raving Loony Party, poses for a photoImage caption: Rick the Flying Brick, from the Monster Raving Loony Party, poses for a photo
Kingswood result expected in about 20 minutes
Hannah Miller
Political correspondent
Conservative MP Jacob
Rees-Mogg has arrived at the Kingswood count and was seen talking with the
Reform UK candidate.
When
the boundary changes come into effect for the next general election, a sizeable
portion of the constituency will sit in Rees-Mogg's constituency instead.
The
declaration in Kingswood is expected in about 20 minutes, when we'll find out
the winner - and also how well Reform have done here.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Jacob Rees-Mogg was seen chatting to Reform UK candidate Rupert LoweImage caption: Jacob Rees-Mogg was seen chatting to Reform UK candidate Rupert Lowe
'We are definitely growing,' says Reform UK candidate
Andrew Sinclair
BBC Look East political correspondent
Reform UK candidate Ben Habib has arrived and said he is feeling “top of the pops”.
He told me: ”I think our campaign went very well. When I first turned up in Wellingborough, people didn’t know who I was. Today I got lots of waves, thumbs up and v signs.
"To be known is a crucial step forward for an insurgent party and we have got our profile up.
"We are definitely growing and our share of the vote will be significantly higher than the previous by election.
"The Tories need to look at our trajectory and panic."
Green Party hoping to better 2019 result
Pete Simson
Political reporter, Bristol, reporting from Thornbury
BBCCopyright: BBC
The Green
Party ran its candidate Lorraine Francis in Kingswood.
Despite
huge electoral success locally in neighbouring Bristol, the party is hoping merely to better its 2019 tally of 1,200 votes, which amounted to 2.4% of the vote.
Reports suggesting Labour has won Wellingborough
Professor Sir John Curtice
Polling expert
Some professional journalists on X are saying both Labour sources
and Conservative sources are in agreement Labour has won in Wellingborough.
This is the more difficult of the two by-elections tonight
for Labour to win. It requires an 18% swing – the kind of swing not far short of
the over 20% swings that Labour have secured in by-elections back in the
autumn.
How long now until we see the results?
It’s the question on all of our minds - but it’s not an exact science.
Normally, we find out in the early hours of the morning. We should have the results from both the Wellingborough and Kingswood by-elections around 04:00 GMT.
But don’t hold it against us if we’re a bit out…We’ll be here through the night, and you can also follow along on the stream at the top of the page - just click the Play button above.
Monster Raving Loony candidate arrives at count
Harry Farley
Political correspondent
BBCCopyright: BBC
A sudden burst of applause and loud cheering rang out in the
counting hall here at the Wellingborough count a moment ago.
Journalists rushed to our balcony looking over the sports
hall.
Had someone won!? Do we have a result?
No.
It’s the arrival of “Nick the Flying Brick”, the candidate
from The Official Monster Raving Loony Party, to loud support from his fans.
Higher turnout than expected in Kettering
Andrew Sinclair
BBC Look East political correspondent
At the Kettering Leisure Village, it has taken several hours to get all the boxes in and to verify the vote.
We have now been told that the turnout is 38.1%, slightly higher than many party officials were expecting.
The last turnout here in the general election was 64.3% - but it's common for turnout to be lower in by-elections.
Recent by-elections include Tamworth in October 2023 at 35.95% and Mid Bedfordshire in October 2023 at 44%.
The count has now moved onto its next stage.
Lib Dem candidate thinks she 'may have lost deposit'
Laura Coffey
Political reporter, Northampton, reporting from Kettering
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
The Liberal Democrat candidate Ana Savage Gunn is here at
Kettering Leisure Village.
She says she "may have lost [her] deposit. It’ll be close.”
Candidates in parliamentary election have to pay a deposit of £500, which is returned to them if they secure more than 5% of the vote.
In 2019, the Lib Dem’s came third in Wellingborough with 7.9% of the vote.
Rees-Mogg will be watching Kingswood result with interest
Hannah Miller
Political correspondent
PACopyright: PA
One high-profile Conservative who
might be watching the details of the result in Kingswood with interest is the
former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Kingswood is a hugely varied
constituency, and it's being split up in the boundary changes for the next general election.
A sizeable chunk of people who were
entitled to vote in Kingswood today will find themselves instead voting in Rees-Mogg’s seat.
Live Reporting
Edited by Sam Hancock
All times stated are UK
Get involved
Reform gets best by-election result so far this Parliament
One notable aspect of the Kingswood result is the performance of Reform UK, which came in third place with 10.4% of the vote.
It's the party's best by-election result so far this Parliament and since it rebranded from its previous name, the Brexit Party, in 2021.
The figure is broadly similar to its current ratings in national polls - and well above what it achieved in recent by-elections in Tamworth (5%) and Mid Bedfordshire (4%).
Looking like Wellingborough result could be close
Andrew Sinclair
BBC Look East political correspondent
At the Wellingborough count, there is a feeling that we could be getting close to a result.
Many of the tables have stopped counting, all the candidates are now here and gathered in small groups with their supporters.
The high Sheriff of Northamptonshire has arrived in his regalia and is chatting to the candidates.
'So much to do' in Kingswood, says new MP
More now from the new MP in Kingswood, Damien Egan, who says that winning the seat "feels amazing" but that there's "so much to do".
He tells BBC News: “The things that our residents are telling us are the things that Keir and the Labour Party have been talking about – the NHS, cost of living crisis, community policing.
“Kingswood is a beautiful part of Bristol, but it is one that feels neglected after 14 years of Conservative government.”
Asked whether he's confident Labour could win the next general election, he says: “You can never take anything for granted."
Kingswood result 'not as bad as expected' - Rees-Mogg
Conservative MP and former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, who represents the nearby seat of North East Somerset, says the result in Kingswood is "not as bad as I'd expected".
He points out that if you add together the Reform UK and Conservative vote it is more than Labour's - and that the Labour Party previously held the seat from 1997 to 2010.
Asked if Reform cost the Tories the by-election, he tells the BBC: "I wouldn’t like to put it that way because a party doesn’t have a divine right to voters - we have to win them to vote for us."
He adds: "But there is a lot of common ground between the Conservative Party and the Reform Party and therefore we need to make sure we appeal to those voters."
Rees-Mogg insists support for Rishi Sunak's leadership is "solid" and "by-elections don't change that".
He says the party can be reassured to some extent by the low turnout as a lot of Tory voters appeared to stay at home.
"I think a general election focuses people’s minds in a different way to a by-election," he adds.
Country is at a crossroads, says new Labour MP for Kingswood
In his victory speech a short time ago, Labour's winning candidate in Kingswood, Damien Egan, thanked voters for "giving me your trust and for allowing me to serve the community that I'm from".
“In Kingswood, as across the country, 14 years of Conservative government have sucked the hope out of our country," he says.
“There’s a feeling that no matter how hard you work, you just can’t move forward and that with Rishi’s recession we’re left again paying more and getting less."
He says the country is "at a crossroads" and urges people to "choose a changed Labour Party" rather than "more managed decline, more chaos, more division" under the Tories.
Swing of 16.4% from Tories to Labour in Kingswood
There was a 16.4% swing from the Conservatives to Labour in Kingswood - some way above the 11.4% the party needed to win the seat.
Labour wins Kingswood with more than 2,000 majority
Hannah Miller
Political correspondent
Labour has overturned a Conservative majority of more than 11,000 to win the Kingswood by-election with a majority of more than 2,000.
"Fourteen years of Conservative government have sucked the hope out of our country," the new MP Damien Egan says in his winning speech.
Conservatives came second, with Reform beating the Green Party to the spot for third place.
Starmer hails 'fantastic' Kingswood result
Labour leader Keir Starmer says the result in Kingswood is "fantastic" for his party and "shows people are ready to put their trust in a Labour government".
"By winning in this Tory stronghold, we can confidently say that Labour is back in the service of working people and we will work tirelessly to deliver for them," he says in a statement.
"To those who have put their trust in us, you can be safe in the knowledge that the Labour Party will deliver on your priorities. Labour will give Britain its future back."
Kingswood results in full
Here is the breakdown of the Kingswood by-election in full:
BreakingLabour gains Kingswood
Labour has won the Kingswood by-election, overturning a majority of more than 11,000.
We’ll bring you the full result in a moment.
In pictures: Count continues in Kingswood and Wellingborough
Kingswood result expected in about 20 minutes
Hannah Miller
Political correspondent
Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg has arrived at the Kingswood count and was seen talking with the Reform UK candidate.
When the boundary changes come into effect for the next general election, a sizeable portion of the constituency will sit in Rees-Mogg's constituency instead.
The declaration in Kingswood is expected in about 20 minutes, when we'll find out the winner - and also how well Reform have done here.
'We are definitely growing,' says Reform UK candidate
Andrew Sinclair
BBC Look East political correspondent
Reform UK candidate Ben Habib has arrived and said he is feeling “top of the pops”.
He told me: ”I think our campaign went very well. When I first turned up in Wellingborough, people didn’t know who I was. Today I got lots of waves, thumbs up and v signs.
"To be known is a crucial step forward for an insurgent party and we have got our profile up.
"We are definitely growing and our share of the vote will be significantly higher than the previous by election.
"The Tories need to look at our trajectory and panic."
Green Party hoping to better 2019 result
Pete Simson
Political reporter, Bristol, reporting from Thornbury
The Green Party ran its candidate Lorraine Francis in Kingswood.
Despite huge electoral success locally in neighbouring Bristol, the party is hoping merely to better its 2019 tally of 1,200 votes, which amounted to 2.4% of the vote.
Reports suggesting Labour has won Wellingborough
Professor Sir John Curtice
Polling expert
Some professional journalists on X are saying both Labour sources and Conservative sources are in agreement Labour has won in Wellingborough.
This is the more difficult of the two by-elections tonight for Labour to win. It requires an 18% swing – the kind of swing not far short of the over 20% swings that Labour have secured in by-elections back in the autumn.
How long now until we see the results?
It’s the question on all of our minds - but it’s not an exact science.
Normally, we find out in the early hours of the morning. We should have the results from both the Wellingborough and Kingswood by-elections around 04:00 GMT.
But don’t hold it against us if we’re a bit out…We’ll be here through the night, and you can also follow along on the stream at the top of the page - just click the Play button above.
Monster Raving Loony candidate arrives at count
Harry Farley
Political correspondent
A sudden burst of applause and loud cheering rang out in the counting hall here at the Wellingborough count a moment ago.
Journalists rushed to our balcony looking over the sports hall.
Had someone won!? Do we have a result?
No.
It’s the arrival of “Nick the Flying Brick”, the candidate from The Official Monster Raving Loony Party, to loud support from his fans.
Higher turnout than expected in Kettering
Andrew Sinclair
BBC Look East political correspondent
At the Kettering Leisure Village, it has taken several hours to get all the boxes in and to verify the vote.
We have now been told that the turnout is 38.1%, slightly higher than many party officials were expecting.
The last turnout here in the general election was 64.3% - but it's common for turnout to be lower in by-elections.
Recent by-elections include Tamworth in October 2023 at 35.95% and Mid Bedfordshire in October 2023 at 44%.
The count has now moved onto its next stage.
Lib Dem candidate thinks she 'may have lost deposit'
Laura Coffey
Political reporter, Northampton, reporting from Kettering
The Liberal Democrat candidate Ana Savage Gunn is here at Kettering Leisure Village.
She says she "may have lost [her] deposit. It’ll be close.”
Candidates in parliamentary election have to pay a deposit of £500, which is returned to them if they secure more than 5% of the vote.
In 2019, the Lib Dem’s came third in Wellingborough with 7.9% of the vote.
Rees-Mogg will be watching Kingswood result with interest
Hannah Miller
Political correspondent
One high-profile Conservative who might be watching the details of the result in Kingswood with interest is the former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Kingswood is a hugely varied constituency, and it's being split up in the boundary changes for the next general election.
A sizeable chunk of people who were entitled to vote in Kingswood today will find themselves instead voting in Rees-Mogg’s seat.