In a blow to the beleaguered tenure of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, opposition-party lawmakers emerged victorious in two key districts in England. Labour Party candidate Damien Egan secured the House of Commons seat of Kingswood in southwest England, while Labour's Gen Kitchen claimed the seat of Wellingborough in the country's center. The results were announced on Friday, revealing a collapse in support for Sunak's Conservative Party.

The Conservatives had previously won both seats by significant margins in the 2019 national election. However, Thursday's special elections witnessed a sharp decline in their support. In particular, the hard-right Reform U.K. party, formerly known as the Brexit Party, placed third, increasing pressure on the Conservatives.

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer described the results as indicative of the public's desire for change. These outcomes are likely to amplify concerns among Conservatives that their party is headed for defeat in the upcoming national election, slated to take place in less than a year. Current opinion polls consistently show the Tories trailing Labour by between 10 and 20 points.

The special elections were held to replace two lawmakers who left their positions abruptly. One, Chris Skidmore, resigned from the Kingswood seat in protest against Sunak's insufficient commitment to green energy. The other, Peter Bone, a long-serving legislator from Wellingborough, was ousted due to allegations of bullying and sexual misconduct.

The electoral setbacks continue a trend for the Conservatives, who have now lost a total of 10 by-elections since the 2019 general election. This is the highest number of by-election defeats for any administration since the 1960s. Since assuming office in October 2022, Sunak has already experienced six defeats, with just one victory under his leadership. His predecessor, Liz Truss, was only in office for seven weeks before being replaced.

Although Sunak has brought some stability to the party, he has struggled to boost its popularity. The Conservatives have been in power at the national level since 2010, a period marked by austerity measures following the global banking crisis, the divisive Brexit referendum, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the European conflict that led to a major cost-of-living crisis.

Opinion polls reveal a decline in Conservative support across the nation, including among affluent southern voters who are disillusioned with Brexit and working-class northern voters who switched from Labour in the 2019 election, lured by promises of widespread prosperity. However, these promises remain largely unfulfilled, and the sluggish economic growth has pushed the country into recession for the first time since the onset of the pandemic.

Damien Egan, upon his victory in Kingswood, highlighted the disillusionment felt by many after 14 years of Conservative rule. He emphasized the need for change, proclaiming that hard work should lead to progress and not stagnation. Conservative Party chairman Richard Holden expressed disappointment with the results, pointing to the low turnout of less than 40% as a reflection of waning enthusiasm for Labour.

Notably, the Conservative losses could embolden Sunak's rivals within the fractious party, as they position themselves for a potential leadership contest following a potential election defeat. Some factions even advocate for Sunak's immediate removal, favoring a low-tax, low-immigration right-wing candidate who could potentially win back voters from Reform. However, others caution that replacing an unelected leader might have unintended consequences.

Sunak's only solace is that Labour is also grappling with challenges. Last week, the party diluted a key green investment pledge, citing the weakened state of the economy left by the Conservatives as the primary reason for the change. Additionally, Starmer is faced with addressing allegations of antisemitism within the party, with recent incidents garnering public attention. Whether or not this controversy has impacted Labour's standing in opinion polls remains uncertain.