Calls from opposition parties for a general election are louder than ever if made more in hope than expectation. In a sense, a slow-motion general election has been progressing for some time now, such has been the frequency of by-elections.
There have so far been 19 since the general election of December 2019 – an unusually high incidence. Of those, 10 have been held in Conservative seats, with Labour gaining four, the Liberal Democrats three and the Tories holding three (one of which, in Southend West, went uncontested following the murder of David Amess.) There may soon be two more, one in Blackpool South, and another in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. Both are Conservative-held and winnable for Labour on current trends.
What is causing these by-elections?
Sleaze. The behaviour of MPs Peter Bone (Wellingborough) and Scott Benton (Blackpool South) has led to this particular round of electoral trouble for the government. Mr Bone was criticised by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority for his personal conduct towards a researcher, although Mr Bone disputes the allegations and disputes the way the investigation was conducted. Mr Benton is accused of undeclared lobbying of ministers on behalf of gambling interests, again denied and disputed; his case was examined by the House of Commons standards committee.
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