After the three by-elections – in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, Selby and Ainsty, and Somerton and Frome – there will be three new MPs taking their seats in parliament.
The elections took place following the resignations of three Conservatives – Boris Johnson, Nigel Adams and David Warburton.
Labour’s 25-year-old Keir Mather was declared the winner of the by-election in Selby and Ainsty in North Yorkshire.
Mr Mather works as a senior public affairs adviser for the Confederation of British Industry and before that was a parliamentary researcher for shadow health secretary Wes Streeting.
At just 25, he is now the youngest MP in the Commons – replacing Labour’s Nadia Whittome as the so-called Baby of the House.
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Image: Keir Mather is now the MP for Selby and Ainsty
The Oxford graduate, from Hull, has said his age means he can relate to younger voters who are struggling to get on the housing ladder and facing a lack of economic opportunity.
His campaign centred on the cost of living crisis, public transport and NHS waiting lists, as well as local issues such as flooding and sewage, and anti-social behaviour.
Labour overturned a Conservative majority of 20,137 with his win – the largest majority reversed at a by-election.
Mr Mather won 16,456 votes, compared to the 12,295 cast for the Tory candidate Claire Holmes. This equals a majority of 4,161.
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1:18
Labour: Today we have made history
Steve Tuckwell
Steve Tuckwell will succeed Boris Johnson as the Conservative MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, after a hard fought battle with Labour in west London.
Mr Tuckwell was declared the winner after a speedy recount – but he only secured a majority of 495.
The former postie is a lifelong resident of South Ruislip and has represented the area as a ward councillor since 2018.
He has sought to distance himself from Mr Johnson by focusing his campaign on local issues, declaring the vote a “referendum” on ULEZ – the controversial plan to expand the zone where people have to pay a £12.50 daily fee to drive in London if their vehicle does not meet emission standards.
Image: Steve Tuckwell is the new Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP
Mr Tuckwell argues the charge will devastate businesses and cost families up to £4,500 a year.
Lib Dem Sarah Dyke, who lives in the Somerton and Frome constituency that she will now represent, has said her farming family can trace their local roots back over more than 250 years.
She has represented Blackmoor Vale on Somerset unitary council since the 2022 local elections, where she defeated Hayward Burt, CCHQ’s resident expert on conquering Liberal Democrats.
Image: Sarah Dyke is the new MP for Somerton and Frome
She holds the council’s portfolio for the environment and climate change.
She was selected as the party’s prospective parliamentary candidate back in May 2022.
Thousands of savers face potential losses after a $2.7 million shortfall was discovered at Ziglu, a British crypto fintech that entered special administration.
Another hint that tax rises are coming in this autumn’s budget has been given by a senior minister.
Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was asked if Sir Keir Starmer and the rest of the cabinet had discussed hiking taxes in the wake of the government’s failed welfare reforms, which were shot down by their own MPs.
Trevor Phillips asked specifically if tax rises were discussed among the cabinet last week – including on an away day on Friday.
Tax increases were not discussed “directly”, Ms Alexander said, but ministers were “cognisant” of the challenges facing them.
Asked what this means, Ms Alexander added: “I think your viewers would be surprised if we didn’t recognise that at the budget, the chancellor will need to look at the OBR forecast that is given to her and will make decisions in line with the fiscal rules that she has set out.
“We made a commitment in our manifesto not to be putting up taxes on people on modest incomes, working people. We have stuck to that.”
Ms Alexander said she wouldn’t comment directly on taxes and the budget at this point, adding: “So, the chancellor will set her budget. I’m not going to sit in a TV studio today and speculate on what the contents of that budget might be.
“When it comes to taxation, fairness is going to be our guiding principle.”
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Afterwards, shadow home secretary Chris Philp told Phillips: “That sounds to me like a barely disguised reference to tax rises coming in the autumn.”
He then went on to repeat the Conservative attack lines that Labour are “crashing the economy”.
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10:43
Chris Philp also criticsed the government’s migration deal with France
Mr Philp then attacked the prime minister as “weak” for being unable to get his welfare reforms through the Commons.
Discussions about potential tax rises have come to the fore after the government had to gut its welfare reforms.
Sir Keir had wanted to change Personal Independence Payments (PIP), but a large Labour rebellion forced him to axe the changes.
With the savings from these proposed changes – around £5bn – already worked into the government’s sums, they will now need to find the money somewhere else.
The general belief is that this will take the form of tax rises, rather than spending cuts, with more money needed for military spending commitments, as well as other areas of priority for the government, such as the NHS.