2023 Mid Bedfordshire by-election
19 October 2023
Mid Bedfordshire constituency
Turnout44%
  First party Second party Third party
 
LDM
Candidate Alistair Strathern Festus Akinbusoye Emma Holland-Lindsay
Party Labour Conservative Liberal Democrats
Popular vote 13,872 12,680 9,420
Percentage 34.1% 31.1% 23.1%
Swing Increase12.4 pp Decrease28.7 pp Increase10.5 pp
Boundary of the Mid Bedfordshire constituency in Bedfordshire
MP before election

Nadine Dorries
Conservative

 Elected MP

Alistair Strathern
Labour

A by-election took place on 19 October 2023 in the United Kingdom parliamentary constituency of Mid Bedfordshire. It took place on the same day as the 2023 Tamworth by-election.

The seat became vacant following the resignation of the sitting Conservative MP, Nadine Dorries. On 9 June 2023, Dorries announced that she was standing down from the seat "with immediate effect". She then delayed her formal process of resignation until 29 August.

The election was won by Alistair Strathern of the Labour Party, the first Labour victory in the seat since its creation in 1918. The turnout was 44%.[1]

Background

Constituency

Mid Bedfordshire is a large rural constituency in Bedfordshire. Towns in the seat include Ampthill, Flitwick and Shefford. Smaller villages in the seat include Meppershall and Woburn. Residents are wealthier than the UK average and health is around the UK average.[2] The previous by-election in the constituency had been in 1960.[3]

The constituency had been held by the Conservatives since 1931, with Nadine Dorries as its MP since 2005.[4] At the 2019 general election, Dorries won with a majority of 24,664.[5]

Initial announcement

Dorries has been a strong supporter of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. She had previously announced her decision to stand down at the next general election, having criticised her colleagues for getting rid of Johnson.[6] There had been speculation for months that she, Nigel Adams and Alok Sharma were to receive peerages in Johnson's resignation honours list.[7]

The Sunday Times reported that, on 2 June 2023, Johnson met the current Conservative Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and agreed to campaign for him if Sunak approved his honours list.[8] A source close to Sunak said that no deal had been agreed, but that Sunak had said he would not interfere in the process. The list of proposed peerages went to the House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC), who rejected several names, including Dorries, Adams and Sharma, as they were serving MPs who were not planning to stand down imminently. This led to a row about whether arrangements could be made for Dorries and the others.[9] Johnson wanted Sunak to overrule HOLAC or to promise to give Adams, Dorries and Sharma peerages later, but Sunak refused.[10] Sunak said on 12 June that Johnson asked him to overrule HOLAC or make promises to people of peerages at a later stage, but that he "was not prepared to do that".[11] Tim Shipman in The Sunday Times reported that Johnson messaged Dorries after this meeting, telling her she was on the list.[10]

On the morning of 9 June, Dorries denied she would be resigning. When she subsequently announced that she would be resigning "with immediate effect" later in the day, she said "something significant" had happened to change her mind, without giving further detail. However, this came shortly after reports that she had been dropped from the list so as to avoid a by-election.[6] Later on 9 June, Johnson's honours list was published without Dorries.[12]

According to The Times, Johnson and his nominees believed mistakenly that they could be re-vetted by HOLAC every six months without needing to be re-nominated, as long as they said they would be standing down at the next general election. Dorries first discovered on the evening of 8 June that she was not on the honours list. On 9 June, she contacted a senior minister and said that Johnson had assured her that she could be re-vetted and nominated at a later date. The minister said that she would have needed to have resigned as an MP already or notified HOLAC of her intention to do so. Dorries asked if she could resign immediately and be put back on the list; her request was refused. She asked if Sunak would submit her for a peerage at the next election, and was told Sunak would not be making any promises. Dorries subsequently announced her resignation.[13]

Later the same day, Johnson also announced his intention to resign as an MP over the way the Commons Privileges Committee had investigated his statements to Parliament related to Partygate, eventually triggering another by-election in Uxbridge and South Ruislip.[14]

Dorries later criticised Sunak and his adviser James Forsyth as "posh boys", who "duplicitously and cruelly" blocked her from receiving a peerage. Johnson also continued to criticise Sunak.[15]

Delay in resignation

Having announced her intention to resign, Dorries delayed formally resigning as an MP, to the frustration of the Conservative Party.[16] The Financial Times reported that she was doing so to cause trouble for Sunak.[17]

On the evening of 14 June, Dorries tweeted to say that it was "absolutely" her intention to resign, but that she was delaying doing so until she had received information requested about why she was not awarded a peerage.[18] She missed the deadline to resign in order for a by-election to occur before Parliament's summer recess.[19]

In summer 2023, both Flitwick and Shefford Town Councils wrote open letters to Dorries, urging her to immediately vacate the seat, citing her lack of representation for her constituents and criticising her absence.[20][21] Labour MP Chris Bryant proposed the use of a 19th century Parliamentary rule to table a motion requiring Dorries to attend Parliament or be suspended, which would lead to a recall petition.[22]

On 26 August 2023, Dorries formally announced her resignation; her resignation letter to the Prime Minister was also published in the Daily Mail. The letter was highly critical of Sunak, accusing him of abandoning "the fundamental principles of Conservatism", and also claiming the police had visited her home due to threats made to her person.[23] The formal process of resignation, by appointment to the position of Steward and Bailiff of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern, was completed on 29 August 2023.[23]

Parliament was in recess when Dorries formally resigned; the motion for the writ of election was made when it reconvened on 4 September 2023, with the warrant for the writ issued on 12 September.[24][25]

Candidates

On 15 June, Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Festus Akinbusoye was selected as the Conservative candidate.[26] Akinbusoye's election would have resulted in him vacating his commissioner role,[27] resulting in a Bedfordshire-wide by-election for the post.[28]

The Labour Party chose Alistair Strathern as their candidate.[29] He was a councillor on Waltham Forest London Borough Council from May 2014 until he resigned on 5 September 2023.[30] (A by-election was held for his ward on 26 October 2023.[31]) He had been a cabinet member (portfolio-holder) on Waltham Forest London Borough Council since 2021,[32][29] receiving an annual allowance of £37,777,[30] in addition to his salary as "climate lead" at the Bank of England.[30] His previous jobs were as a director of Ascham Homes Limited from June 2014 to November 2015,[33] and as a maths teacher.[34] Strathern has been associated with Greenpeace.[35] Strathern grew up in Bedfordshire,[36] and in July 2023, he announced that he had moved from London to Shefford, Bedfordshire.[30]

The Liberal Democrats selected Emma Holland-Lindsay as their candidate on 19 June.[36] She is a local councillor as a member of Central Bedfordshire Council, in Leighton Buzzard, part of the South West Bedfordshire constituency.[37]

On 12 June, Reform UK announced Dave Holland as their candidate.[38] He grew up in the constituency and in January 2023 had been selected by Reform UK to stand in the constituency at the next general election.[39] Holland ran unsuccessfully as a Reform UK candidate in the 2023 Central Bedfordshire Council elections for the Meppershall and Shillington ward.[40] Cade Sibley was selected as the Green Party candidate.[41]

The chairman of Central Bedfordshire Council, Gareth Mackey, an independent councillor, also announced his candidacy on 12 June, saying he would stand as an independent, having previously announced he would run in the constituency at the next general election.[42] He had ran unsuccessfully as a Conservative candidate in the 2015 Central Bedfordshire Council election,[43] before being elected as an independent councillor in 2019.[44]

Campaign

Some media sources speculated that the Liberal Democrats would perform strongly, but reported that Labour also expected they could win the seat.[45][46][47]

On 12 June, Reform UK and the Reclaim Party announced a mutual co-operation agreement for two upcoming by-elections, whereby Reform UK would stand in Mid Bedfordshire and Reclaim would stand in Uxbridge and South Ruislip.[38]

On 13 June, Labour Party National Campaign Coordinator Shabana Mahmood ruled out a Lib–Lab pact.[48] Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey had done the same on 10 June.[49] By 19 June, both parties had confirmed candidates.

Labour and the Lib Dems both launched serious campaigns for the seat, triggering what was described by journalist Katy Balls as a "toxic power tussle",[50] and speculation that the split of the anti-Conservative vote may allow the Conservatives to retain the seat.[51][52][53]

The Conservative campaign was reportedly "tainted" by Nadine Dorries.[54][55] On 1 July an opinion poll suggested that the Conservatives could see their biggest by-election defeat in British history.[56]

On 21 September it was reported that Labour had issued a cease and desist letter to the Lib Dems, accusing them of publishing "lies and smears" about the Labour candidate in their election leaflets, and using a misleading bar chart showing the Lib Dems as neck-and-neck with the Conservatives, when polling put them in third place. In response the Lib Dems accused Labour of a "dirty tricks" campaign.[57] Labour threatened to report the Liberal Democrats to the police alleging two breaches of the Representation of the People Act.[57]

The National Health Service and affordable housing were reported to be key issues in the campaign.[58] One local campaign issue was the need for a GP surgery in the new town of Wixams.[59]

Polling

Dates
conducted		 Pollster Client Sample
size		 Con Lab Lib Dems Green Gareth Mackey Reform UK True & Fair Others Lead
20 Oct 2023 2023 by-election 40,720 31.1% 34.1% 23.1% 1.8% 4.6% 3.7% 0.2% 1.4% 3.0
12–14 Sep 2023 Survation Labour Together 559 29% 29% 22% 2% 6% 7% 4% – Tie
1 Jul 2023 Opinium Labour Party 724 24% 28% 15% – 19% 10% – – 4
12 Dec 2019 2019 general election 64,717 59.8% 21.7% 12.6% 3.8% – – – 2.1% 38.1

Results

Bar chart of the election result.
2023 Mid Bedfordshire by-election[60]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Alistair Strathern 13,872 34.1 +12.4
Conservative Festus Akinbusoye 12,680 31.1 –28.7
Liberal Democrats Emma Holland-Lindsay 9,420 23.1 +10.5
Independent Gareth Mackey 1,865 4.6 New
Reform UK Dave Holland 1,487 3.7 New
Green Cade Sibley 732 1.8 –2.0
Monster Raving Loony Ann Kelly 249 0.6 –0.2
English Democrat Antonio Vitiello 107 0.3 New
CPA Sid Cordle 101 0.2 New
True & Fair Party Alan Victor 93 0.2 New
Heritage Alberto Thomas 63 0.2 New
No description Prince Ankit Love, Emperor of India 27 0.1 New
Mainstream Chris Rooney 24 0.1 New
Majority 1,192 3.0 N/A
Turnout 40,720 44.1 –29.6
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +20.5

A similar substantial swing, resulting in a Labour gain from the Conservatives, was seen in the concurrent Tamworth by-election. Psephologist John Curtice determined these results to be ''one of worst nights any government has endured".[61]

Previous result

General election 2019: Mid Bedfordshire[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nadine Dorries 38,692 59.8 –1.8
Labour Rhiannon Meades 14,028 21.7 –6.7
Liberal Democrats Rachel McGann 8,171 12.6 +6.6
Green Gareth Ellis 2,478 3.8 +1.0
Independent Alan Victor 812 1.3 New
Monster Raving Loony Ann Kelly 536 0.8 –0.3
Majority 24,664 38.1 +4.9
Turnout 64,717 73.7 –3.0
Conservative hold Swing +2.4

See also

References

  1. ↑ Blewett, Sam (20 October 2023). "Labour wins Mid Bedfordshire in historic by-election result". The Independent. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  2. ↑ "Bedfordshire Mid: Seat Details". Electoral Calculus. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  3. ↑ Craig, F. W. S. (1971). British parliamentary Election Results 1950-1970. Chichester: Political Reference Publications. p. 324. ISBN 0-900178-02-7.
  4. ↑ Mulroy, Helen (11 February 2023). "Nadine Dorries: Constituents react as MP announces exit plan". BBC News. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Bedfordshire Mid Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  6. 1 2 Brown, Faye (9 June 2023). "Nadine Dorries standing down as MP with 'immediate effect' triggering by-election". Sky News. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  7. ↑ Devlin, Kate; Mitchell, Archie (9 June 2023). "'Shock announcement came after 'cronies' rewarded in 'sickening' honours list". The Independent. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  8. ↑ Malnick, Edward (10 June 2023). "Boris Johnson pleaded with Rishi Sunak to approve his resignation honours". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  9. ↑ Daly, Patrick (11 June 2023). "Sunak did not remove names from Johnson's peerages list, insists minister". The Independent. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  10. 1 2 Sparrow, Andrew (12 June 2023). "Boris Johnson formally quits as an MP, Treasury confirms, after day marked by war of words with Rishi Sunak – as it happened". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  11. ↑ Gregory, Andy (12 June 2023). "Ex-PM formally resigns as MP amid bitter Sunak row - live". The Independent. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  12. ↑ Nevett, Joshua (9 June 2023). "Key allies rewarded in Johnson resignation honours list". BBC News. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  13. ↑ Shipman, Tim; Yorke, Harry; Wheeler, Caroline (10 June 2023). "Inside No 10. Boris Johnson goes down swinging: 'These people are only in parliament because of me'". The Sunday Times.
  14. ↑ Whitehead, Jamie, ed. (9 June 2023). "Boris Johnson resigns: Ex-PM quits Parliament over Partygate report". BBC News. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  15. ↑ Gregory, Andy (13 June 2023). "Boris Johnson 'found to have deliberately misled parliament'". The Independent. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  16. ↑ Watson, Iain; Seddon, Paul (14 June 2023). "Nadine Dorries keeps Conservative Party waiting on by-election". BBC News. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  17. ↑ Parker, George (13 June 2023). "Nadine Dorries hangs back on formally resigning as MP". Financial Times. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  18. ↑ Francis, Sam (14 June 2023). "Nadine Dorries delays resignation until peerage information is released". BBC News. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  19. ↑ Lewis, Katy (23 June 2023). "Nadine Dorries misses deadline for July by-election". BBC News.
  20. ↑ Collins, Andy; Wingate, Sophie (27 July 2023). "Nadine Dorries urged to quit as MP by Flitwick Town Council". BBC News.
  21. ↑ Parry, Louise; Holmes, Amy (21 August 2023). "Nadine Dorries has 'abandoned' Mid Bedfordshire voters - council". BBC News.
  22. ↑ Burrell, Miriam (5 August 2023). "'Absentee MP' Nadine Dorries faces campaign to force her out. The MP for Mid Bedfordshire remains in post despite vowing to resign in June". Evening Standard.
  23. 1 2 Leigh, Suzanne (26 August 2023). "Nadine Dorries resigns: Conservative MP attacks PM as she quits Commons". BBC News. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  24. ↑ Sheldrick, Tom (27 August 2023). "Sunak faces another crunch by-election as Labour and Lib Dems eye Nadine Dorries' seat". ITV News. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  25. ↑ "Recall of MPs Act 2015: Member for Rutherglen and Hamilton West". House of Commons Hansard. 4 September 2023.
  26. ↑ Lewis, Katy (16 June 2023). "Festus Akinbusoye becomes Tory MP candidate for Dorries' seat". BBC News. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  27. ↑ The Electoral Commission. "Police and Crime Commissioner election in England and Wales, Guidance for candidates and agents, Part 1 of 6 – Can you stand for election?" (PDF).
  28. ↑ Mid Bedfordshire by-election could cost taxpayers over £1million more if a "particular candidate" wins (30 August 2023) Bedford Independent
  29. 1 2 Neame, Katie (16 June 2023). "Labour candidate in Mid Bedfordshire: Alistair Strathern wins selection race". LabourList. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  30. 1 2 3 4 "Cabinet member resigns to fight for Nadine Dorries' seat". Waltham Forest Echo. 5 September 2023.
  31. ↑ "By-election in Higham Hill ward: Thursday 26 October 2023", Waltham Forest London Borough Council, 7 September 2023, archived from the original on 16 October 2023
  32. ↑ "Cllr Alistair Strathern", Waltham Forest Labour Party, archived from the original on 27 June 2023
  33. ↑ "Alistair Luke Strathern", Companies House
  34. ↑ Jones, Morgan (15 July 2023). "Operation Mid Beds: Inside Labour's audacious bid for a Tory crown jewel". LabourList. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  35. ↑ "Greenpeace criticism 'desperate', Mid Bedfordshire Labour candidate says". Express & Star. 27 August 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  36. 1 2 Lewis, Katy (19 June 2023). "Lib Dems name MP candidate for Dorries' seat". BBC News. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  37. ↑ Guinn, John (31 August 2023). "LibDem candidate for Mid Bedfordshire says by-election is chance to get a new 'hard working' MP". Bedford Today.
  38. 1 2 Noyce, Eleanor (12 June 2023). "Reform UK and Reclaim parties announce deal to boost chances in by-elections". The Independent. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  39. ↑ Holmes, Amy (30 August 2023). "Mid Beds by-election: Candidates line up to replace Nadine Dorries MP". BBC News.
  40. ↑ Election results - Meppershall and Shillington election results - 2023. Central Bedfordshire Council
  41. ↑ "Mid Beds Green candidate says it's his "civic duty" to stand". Bedford Independent. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  42. ↑ Duncan, Euan (12 June 2023). "New Central Beds Council chairman to contest Mid Bedfordshire by-election after Nadine Dorries' resignation". Bedford Today. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  43. ↑ Ferguson, Alan. "Barton-le-Clay election results - 2015". www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk. Central Bedfordshire Council. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  44. ↑ Ferguson, Alan. "Flitwick election results - 2019". www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk. Central Bedfordshire Council. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  45. ↑ Gutteridge, Nick (8 June 2023). "Nadine Dorries' seat could fall to Lib Dems if she forces by-election". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  46. ↑ Daly, Patrick (11 June 2023). "Lib Dems to kick-start Mid-Bedfordshire by-election campaign after Dorries' exit". Evening Standard. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  47. ↑ Adu, Aletha (12 June 2023). "Labour and Lib Dems scent victory in Nadine Dorries' seat". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  48. ↑ Chaplain, Chloe; Gye, Hugo (13 June 2023). "Labour rules out Lib Dem pact and aims to win three by-elections - including Dorries's old seat". The Independent. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  49. ↑ Adu, Aletha (10 June 2023). "Lib Dems rule out tactical voting pact with Labour in byelections". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  50. ↑ Balls, Katy (30 August 2023). "There is a bitter battle going on in Mid Bedfordshire - but it's not about Nadine Dorries". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  51. ↑ Lowe, Professor Roy (3 September 2023). "A Conservative win in Mid Bedfordshire might be the best result for progressives". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  52. ↑ Schofield, Kevin (28 August 2023). "Will Labour And Lib Dem Feuding Hand The Tories A Win In Mid Bedfordshire?". HuffPost UK. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  53. ↑ Payne, Adam (29 August 2023). "Anti-Tory Vote Split Could Hurt Labour And Lib Dems In Mid Bedfordshire By-election". Politics Home. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  54. ↑ Saunders, Tom (3 September 2023). "Mid Bedfordshire by-election: Tories tainted by Nadine Dorries". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  55. ↑ Stedman, Harry (27 August 2023). "Mid Bedfordshire residents say Dorries 'should have gone long ago'". The Irish News. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  56. ↑ Malnick, Edward (1 July 2023). "Tories face biggest by-election defeat in British history in Nadine Dorries seat". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  57. 1 2 Forrest, Adam (21 September 2023). "Labour threaten to report Lib Dems to police over by-election 'lies'". The Independent. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  58. ↑ Rigby, Nic (15 October 2023). "Mid Bedfordshire by-election: Candidates give their views". BBC News. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  59. ↑ Cartwright, Mike; Rigby, Nic (14 October 2023). "Mid Bedfordshire by-election: New town wants promised GP surgery". BBC News. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  60. ↑ "Statement of Persons Nominated ..." Central Bedfordshire Council. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  61. ↑ "Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire by-elections 'one of worst nights any government has endured'". BBC News. 20 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
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