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The News Agents

Are the Tories heading for extinction?

The News Agents

Global

News, Daily News, Government, Politics

4.15.4K Ratings

🗓️ 20 October 2023

⏱️ 52 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Two massive by-election losses in Tory heartland. Are Rishi Sunak's hopes of holding onto his premiership next year in tatters?

They may still win Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire back in next year's general election, but that doesn't arrest the growing expectation that there is a distinct possibility the Conservatives could soon face electoral annihilation.

We speak to Lara Spirit, editor of The Times' Red Box, to understand the political implications for the Tories and Sunak in the wake of last night's results.

And - a voice from each party.

Tory MP Robin Walker, who, despite campaigning in Mid Beds is still confident his party can recover (though one might say there's a slight falter in his voice);

Lib Dem Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper tries to dampen her party's disappointment;

and Labour shadow secretary Peter Kyle, who led the Labour campaign in Mid Beds has a thing or two (or three) to say about the Lib Dem's campaign - which he calls 'filth'.

Editor: Tom Hughes

Senior Producer: Gabriel Radus

Producer: Laura FitzPatrick

Planning Producer: Alex Barnett

Social Media Producer: Phoebe Dampare-Osei

Video Producers: Rory Symon & Ben Bate

You can listen to this episode on Alexa - just say "Alexa, ask Global Player to play The News Agents".

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

The Newsagents podcast is brought to you by HSBC UK, opening up a world of opportunity.

0:08.0

This is a global player original podcast.

0:12.9

Marjorie Diana Nicholson, 77.

0:17.5

Freedom for choice of smokers.

0:18.9

John David Oldbury Natural Law Party

0:22.6

Ian

0:24.6

Fares Pearson

0:26.6

Labour

0:27.6

28,400

0:29.6

and

0:33.6

Graham Eric Possel

0:36.6

Conservative 7,706 and Graham Eric Pustle, Conservative. Seven thousand seven hundred and six.

0:41.4

I hereby declare that Ian Ferres Pearson has been duly elected to serve as member of Parliament for the Dudley West constituency.

0:51.4

So Labour, no surprise.

0:53.4

I know, I know you're thinking we've screwed up on the newsagents, that we've played out the wrong by-election result.

1:00.0

No, it wasn't Tamworth. No, it wasn't mid-beds.

1:03.3

It was Dudley West in the winter of 1994.

1:08.5

The by-election that told us that something seismic was happening in British politics.

1:15.0

If the US Geological Survey could have measured what happened that night, it would have been a

1:19.7

seven. But what happened last night in Tamworth, amid beds, was a nine. It was exceptional. The Labour victories are huge. And in the 92 to 97 Parliament,

1:35.4

Ken Clark once said that you keep thinking you've hit rock bottom only to find you can go even lower.

1:45.7

Arguably, the Conservatives are in that position now.

...

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