Summary

  • Labour has won two by-elections in Wellingborough and Kingswood, overturning big Conservative majorities in the process

  • In Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, the party took Peter Bone’s former seat, which he had held with a majority of more than 18,000

  • And in Kingswood, South Gloucestershire, Labour overturned a 11,220 Conservative majority to win Chris Skidmore’s former seat

  • BBC elections expert John Curtice says the swing from the Conservatives to Labour in Wellingborough was the second biggest in any post-war election

  • Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says the results show "people are ready to put their faith in a changed Labour Party" but adds that he is not "complacent"

  • But Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg blames a low turnout for the party's losses and insists Rishi Sunak's leadership is "solid" and "by-elections don't change that"

  • Press the play button at the top of this page to watch live coverage

Live Reporting

Edited by Sam Hancock

  1. Not long now until polls close

    The BBC newsroom in London

    There’s less than 5 minutes to go until polls close in the two by-elections we're covering tonight.

    At 22:00 GMT strict rules for broadcasters will be lifted.

    The BBC, like other media outlets, is not allowed to report details of campaigning or election issues while polls are open. We are required by electoral law to adopt a code of practice, ensuring fairness between candidates, and that is particularly important on polling day.

    Coverage of what is happening on the day is usually restricted to uncontroversial factual accounts, such as the appearance of politicians - and dogs - at polling stations, or the weather.

    Stay with us as we get ready to bring you all the latest.

  2. By the way, what is a by-election?

    A by-election is the process for electing a new Member of Parliament when a seat in the House of Commons becomes vacant outside a general election.

    This can happen, for example, when an MP dies or resigns, or is convicted of a serious criminal offence. In today’s elections, one seat is being contested due to a resignation, and the other as a result of a recall petition.

    A by-election does not have to take place if an MP changes political party. During the period before the vote while the seat is empty, an MP of the same party in a neighbouring constituency manages constituency matters.

  3. Who’s standing in Kingswood?

    A map showing the location of the Kingswood constituency near Bristol.

    Moving onto the Kingswood by-election. Currently, the Tories have a majority of 11,220 in the seat on the northern outskirts of Bristol.

    This by-election was sparked when Conservative Chris Skidmore stood down from his seat in protest at the government's energy plans. Here are a list of the candidates:

    • Sam Bromiley, Conservative
    • Andrew Brown, Liberal Democrat
    • Damien Egan, Labour
    • Lorraine Francis, Green
    • Rupert Lowe, Reform
    • Nicholas Wood, UKIP

    Read here for a full and detailed list of each candidate

  4. Candidates standing in Wellingborough

    A map showing the location of the Wellingborough constituency, close to Northampton.

    The Wellingborough by-election was prompted by Tory MP Peter Bone's suspension from the House of Commons for six weeks. The Tories have a majority of 18,540 in this seat - here are the candidates:

    • Nick the Flying Brick, Monster Raving Loony
    • Ana Gunn, Liberal Democrats
    • Ben Habib, Reform UK
    • Helen Harrison, Conservative
    • Ankit Love Jknpp Jay Mala Post-Mortem, Independent
    • Gen Kitchen, Labour
    • Alex Merola, Britain First
    • Will Morris, Green
    • Andre Pyne-Bailey, Independent
    • Marion Turner-Hawes, Independent
    • Kevin Watts, Independent

    Note: The first candidate's surname is listed as Brick, hence he appears first in the alphabetical list.

    Read here for a full detailed list on each candidate

  5. Voting closing in two key by-elections

    Directions to a polling station for a UK general electionGetty Images

    Good evening and welcome to our live coverage of two by-elections taking place today.

    Both are in Conservative-held seats - Kingswood, near Bristol, and Wellingborough in Northamptonshire.

    The polls are due to close at 22:00 GMT. So, stay with us for rolling coverage from the counts into the night.