Starmer claims Tories have 'run out of road' after by-election defeat

Sir Keir Starmer has claimed Rishi Sunak and the Tories have "run out of road" after Labour cruised to victory in the City of Chester by-election.

Speaking during a visit to Glasgow today, the Labour leader said the people of Chester had sent a "clear message" to Mr Sunak that they are "fed up".

He said: "There’s this strong sense now that the Government has run out of road, run out of ideas, hasn’t got a mandate, and it’s time for change."

Labour successfully defended its City of Chester seat, as its candidate Samantha Dixon increased the party's majority to almost 11,000, with a swing of more than 13 per cent from the Tories to Labour.

Professor Sir John Curtice, the polling expert, said if such a swing was replicated at a general election it would be enough for Sir Keir to win a majority. He said Labour is now in a "stronger position" than at any time in the last 12 years.

You can follow the latest updates below. 

03:00 PM

That is all for today...

Thank you for joining me for today's politics live blog.

I will be back early on Monday morning.

02:45 PM

Time runs out on debating Matt Hancock's dyslexia bill

MPs ran out of time to finish debating Matt Hancock’s Dyslexia Screening and Teacher Training Bill this afternoon.

The proposed legislation will need to return to the Commons at a later date to have a chance of passing its second reading - the first hurdle in the legislative process.

02:14 PM

Matt Hancock labels current approach to helping children with dyslexia an 'outrage'

Matt Hancock, the former health secretary, told the House of Commons that an estimated 10 per cent of people in the UK are dyslexic.

He said: "If we don't know who is dyslexic when they are at school, how can we possibly help them and equip them with what they need to deal with the challenges that life throws at us?"

The independent MP said the Dyslexia Screening and Teacher Training Bill which he wants to become law would see "every child being screened for dyslexia in primary schools and give teachers the adequate level of training to be able to teach dyslexic children properly".

Mr Hancock said he believes it is an "outrage" that teachers currently do not need to be trained to teach dyslexic children.

02:07 PM

Matt Hancock returns to the Commons

Matt Hancock has returned to the House of Commons following his controversial stint on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

The former health secretary appeared in the Commons this afternoon to make the case for his Dyslexia Screening and Teacher Training Bill.

The proposed legislation would introduce screening for dyslexia in primary schools and bring in new guidance for trainee teachers to improve their understanding of dyslexia and other neurodivergent conditions.

Mr Hancock's Private Members' Bill was the third to be debated today and Deputy Commons Speaker Nigel Evans joked: "You appear to be making a habit of coming third these days..."

Mr Hancock replied: "I am not quite sure what to make of that but I am honoured to be third today and let's see how that goes. But it is also a pleasure to be here and to be clean and well-fed."

01:42 PM

Jacob Rees-Mogg says he intends to contest next election

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the former business secretary, said he hopes to run again at the next general election in one of the seats set to emerge out of his North East Somerset constituency.

He told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme: "My seat gets divided up. But yes, I very much hope to be selected for one of the seats that emerges out of North East Somerset, and to carry on representing this area, which I’ve done since 2010."

01:37 PM

Senior Tory MP demands answers over HMRC phone line problems

HMRC tweeted this morning that "due to technical issues we have taken the decision to shut all of our phone lines apart from the National Clearance Hub helpline" and that some of its online services had also been impacted.

Harriett Baldwin, the Tory chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, has now written to HMRC to demand answers on the outage.

She said: "It is seriously concerning to see taxpayers are currently unable to reach the taxman by telephone. These unexpected outages should be a thing of the past.

"That’s why I’ve today written to the head of HMRC to demand urgent answers on the issues facing customers over the past 24 hours."

01:32 PM

'You need an element of turnover'

Ex-Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has warned against "drawing too much" from a "relatively small" number of Tory MPs who have decided to stand down at the next general election.

"I think you’re drawing too much from still a relatively small number of resignations," he told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme.

The former business secretary said: "I think you don’t want to have a whole cadre of professional politicians who get in at 20 and remain until they’re 80. That would be a very stodgy, difficult form of politics that I don’t think the country would like.

"So you need an element of turnover. And people’s lives and careers take different paths. And that’s always been the case."

12:48 PM

'We should have change in Scotland but that should be change within the United Kingdom'

Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said he is advocating "change in Scotland but that should be change within the United Kingdom".

Told that a recent poll had put "Yes" ahead of "No" on the question of Scottish independence and asked how Labour intends to gain ground in Scotland, Sir Keir told broadcasters during a visit to Glasgow: "In Scotland we have been improving our position and the case I want to make in Scotland is that we should have change in Scotland but that should be change within the United Kingdom, a positive case for change, and that also an incoming Labour government would clearly have priorities which I think match where most people are in Scotland which is dealing with the cost-of-living crisis, dealing with our economy and getting it growing, making sure we have the right jobs in the right places and that Scotland can thrive.

"We are doing well in Scotland, we continue to build our case but it is a very positive case for change, I am not arguing for the status quo in Scotland, change of Scotland within... the United Kingdom."

12:23 PM

Sir Keir Starmer claims Tories have 'run out of road'

Sir Keir Starmer has said that his party’s victory at the City of Chester by-election was a "very, very good result" for Labour.

Speaking on a visit to Glasgow today, the Labour leader said: "Let’s be clear this was a very, very good result for the Labour Party. The Labour Party has been putting forward a positive plan for the future, how we stabilise and grow our economy.

"So we were putting a positive choice to the electorate in Chester. The Government is worn out, tired, has crashed the economy. And the verdict was very, very clearly given.

"I think that’s a clear message to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that people are fed up and they want to change. There’s this strong sense now that the Government has run out of road, run out of ideas, hasn’t got a mandate, and it’s time for change."

12:18 PM

Rishi Sunak pays tribute to his 'good friend' Sajid Javid

(The final line of Mr Sunak's tweet is a Star Wars reference - both men are big fans of the fictional space epic.)

12:03 PM

Labour heading for 'super-landslide' general election victory after Chester result

Christopher Hope, The Telegraph's associate editor, argues that there is now an urgent need for Rishi Sunak to find an "idea to inspire" after the Tories were defeated in the City of Chester by-election. He writes:

You can read the piece in full here.

11:34 AM

Analysis: Javid's decision to stand down will fuel fears of Tory 'brain drain'

Sajid Javid has run six different Whitehall departments and is undoubtedly one of the most experienced Tory MPs on the Government benches.

His decision to stand down at the next general election will further fuel fears of a Tory "brain drain" as some of the Conservative Party's most capable MPs opt for a life away from Parliament.

He joins Chloe Smith, William Wragg and Dehenna Davison in saying that he will not contest the next election.

The fear among Tory figures will be that other talented MPs could now make similar decisions, potentially weakening the Conservative Party as a fighting force in the short to medium term.

11:18 AM

Sajid Javid says he 'wrestled' with decision to stand down

Sajid Javid, the former health secretary and ex-Tory leadership contender, said he had "wrestled" with the decision to stand down at the next general election.

In a letter to the chairman of his local Conservative association, Mr Javid said: "It has been a decision that I have wrestled with for some time, but I have ultimately concluded not to stand again for what would be my fifth election."

He added: "Being the local MP and serving in Government has been the privilege of my life and I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to serve. I always sought to make decisions in the national interest, and in line with my values and I can only hope my best was sufficient."

11:11 AM

Sajid Javid to stand down at next election

10:55 AM

'Keir's in Scotland today'

Angela Rayner, Labour's deputy leader, said Sir Keir Starmer is in Scotland today but that he will visit Chester at some point in the near future.

Asked when the Labour leader will come and say thank you to his activists in the City of Chester following the party's by-election victory, she told broadcasters: "Keir’s in Scotland today. He’s not 'too busy', no. He’s in Scotland today, and he will be here, and we’ll have a fantastic time when we get Sam in Parliament next week.

"So we’re really delighted that Sam [Dixon] is the new MP for the City of Chester, and I know she’ll do a fabulous job for people here."

10:34 AM

Labour has 25 point poll lead over Tories

The Labour Party has a 25 point poll lead over the Conservatives, according to a new survey published by the People Polling organisation.

The poll, conducted on November 30, put Labour on 46 per cent while the Tories were on 21 per cent.

10:23 AM

Labour Party congratulates Samantha Dixon

10:21 AM

Angela Rayner says Tory brand has taken a 'pelting'

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said the Conservative Party's brand has taken a "pelting" and Rishi Sunak had "failed" his first electoral test as Prime Minister.

"He’s failed that test, it’s very clear that he doesn’t have the mandate to govern and that people want a general election and they want change," she told broadcasters in Chester.

She added: "It is clear that this was Rishi Sunak’s first test as Prime Minister, and it was his worst defeat since 1832 here. It’s pretty clear that the Conservatives… their branding has absolutely took a pelting."

09:51 AM

Matt Hancock back in the Commons

Matt Hancock has made his first appearance in the House of Commons chamber since his controversial stint on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!

The former health secretary is back in Parliament for the second reading of his Dyslexia Screening and Teacher Training Bill, which is third on today's order paper and is expected to be debated later.

Mr Hancock now sits as the independent MP for West Suffolk, having been suspended from the Conservative parliamentary party for choosing to head to the Australian jungle at a time when the House was sitting.

09:25 AM

Angela Rayner: People of Chester have given 'huge message' to Tories

Angela Rayner, the deputy leader of the Labour Party, said the people of Chester had sent a "huge message" to the Conservative Party.

Speaking alongside the constituency's new Labour MP, Samantha Dixon, Ms Rayner told broadcasters: "Obviously we are very pleased with the result. This is the worst defeat for the Conservatives [since] 1832. It was very clear when we were going on the doorstep that people are genuinely really concerned about the cost of living. That came up time and time again.

"They are angry with the Conservatives who have crashed the economy. The sleaze that has engulfed them. The constant bickering... everyone feels like it is a constant backlog and they are damaging our economy and they are damaging people's prospects.

"The people of Chester, the city of Chester, have given a huge message to the Conservatives that they want change and they want a Labour government."

08:48 AM

Sir Keir Starmer: 'People are fed up of 12 years of Tory rule'

Sir Keir Starmer said the City of Chester by-election has sent a "clear" message to Rishi Sunak that people are "fed up of 12 years of Tory rule".

He tweeted: "Huge congratulations to [Samantha Dixon] who will be an excellent MP for City of Chester. The message to Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government is clear: People are fed up of 12 years of Tory rule and want the change Labour offers. It's time for a Labour government."

08:46 AM

Angela Rayner responds to by-election win: 'It’s time for a Labour government'

08:44 AM

Wes Streeting suggests Labour would not meet NHS worker pay demands

Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, has suggested a Labour government would not be able to meet the pay demands of striking NHS staff.

Asked if a deal with health workers should involve above inflation pay rises, Mr Streeting told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "I have got to be really honest with you. I looked at the RCN’s headline claim of inflation plus five per cent.

"I can’t say in all honesty if I were the secretary of state for health today that I would be able to give that kind kind of pay award but I would be prepared to negotiate and whether it is on pay, working conditions, the architecture of the pay review body which I know unions have concerns about, I think there is a deal to be done and I would be willing to negotiate.

"I think that is the least that the Government could do and I don’t understand, I don’t think there is any rational explanation as to why the Government wouldn’t negotiate except that perhaps that briefing to the newspapers that the Government is quite happy to see industrial action taking place, they assume the public will turn against the unions and back the Government.

"I assume that is their strategy. I think it is a reckless one. I think it is gambling with patients’ care, I think it is irresponsible and I think the Government should negotiate immediately."

08:42 AM

Tory MP: Opinion polls will 'narrow' before general election

Sir Charles Walker, a senior Tory MP, said he believes opinion polls will "narrow" before the next general election but even if they do Labour is still likely to perform "extremely well".

He told Times Radio: "Most of my colleagues are realists. They know it is going to be an incredibly difficult two years. I do think the opinion polls will narrow.

"I don’t think Labour going into a general election in two years’ time will sustain a lead of 20, 25 per cent, but it doesn’t need to to win well.

"If it sustains a lead of say 12 to 15 per cent it will still poll extremely well whenever the general election comes which I suspect is in two years’ time."

08:24 AM

'Inevitable' more Tory MPs will stand down to avoid general election defeat

It is "inevitable" that more Tory MPs will announce they will stand down at the next general election in order to avoid a defeat or "10 years" in opposition, Sir Charles Walker said.

The senior Tory MP who is standing down himself was asked during an interview on Times Radio if more MPs will follow him in leaving Parliament.

He said: "Oh, I suspect you will see quite a lot of people standing down as we get nearer the general election. I think many of my colleagues won’t have made their minds up yet.

"But I think it is inevitable. I think politics is quite a gruelling vocation to be in and many of my colleagues will be thinking ‘do I want to do much more of this, do I want to go down to electoral defeat and have a gruelling six week campaign?’ or if they are in really safe seats ‘do I want to be in opposition for 10 years?’."

08:19 AM

Tory MP: 'Almost impossible' for Conservative Party to win next general election

Sir Charles Walker, a senior Tory MP, said he believes it will be "almost impossible" for the Conservative Party to win the next general election.

Sir Charles, who is standing down as an MP at the next contest, told Times Radio: "The Conservative Party, clearly it is in a better place than it was six weeks ago when Liz Truss was prime minister. At least we have someone competent in charge.

"But I think look, it is almost impossible to see us coming back from this. I suspect we will lose the next general election.

"Now, I hope what Rishi Sunak does is make sure Labour doesn’t wipe the floor with us, that we perhaps win 220 seats and we form a viable opposition which was not the case in 1997 when we went down to having 165 members of parliament."

07:58 AM

By-election victory 'points to a majority Labour government'

Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow international trade secretary, said the City of Chester by-election result "points to a majority Labour government" at the next general election.

The Labour frontbencher told Talk TV: "Now we can see that change coming and whilst of course we are looking to form the next government, this result points to a majority Labour government, but I can tell you there is absolutely no complacency at all.

"We know there is hard work to do to win people's trust, to put their cross in that Labour box at the next general election and that is the work that we are going to continue to do."

07:51 AM

Nick Thomas-Symonds claims Chester victory was a 'landslide'

Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow international trade secretary, described Labour's victory in the City of Chester by-election as a "landslide".

He told Talk TV: "It is a very powerful message. I went up to Chester myself last week and I was getting that message very, very strongly on the doorstep. It is the best result since 1832 actually in the history of the constituency.

"It is a bigger percentage of the vote than we achieved even in 1997. So it really is a landslide victory there in Chester."

He added: "Nationally of course it is this real strong message to the Conservatives that they are on borrowed time in office."

07:24 AM

Tory swing to Labour 'would have been bigger under Liz Truss'

Professor Sir John Curtice, the polling expert, said the City of Chester by-election suggested Rishi Sunak had clawed back some of the Tory support which had seemingly been lost under Liz Truss's leadership.

He told the BBC: "Probably, yes. We can’t tell directly because there wasn’t a by-election in the very small number of days that Liz was the prime minister.

"But the swing was more like what you would expect given the 20 point lead in the polls that there is now.

"I think if this by-election had taken place when Liz Truss was prime minister in her dying days the swing almost undoubtably would have been bigger."

07:19 AM

Labour now in 'strongest position for 12 years'

The City of Chester by-election suggests the Labour Party is now in a "stronger position" than it has been at any point in the last 12 years, a polling expert has said.

Asked if the 13 point swing from the Tories to Labour in Chester would be enough to deliver a Labour majority at a general election, Professor Sir John Curtice told the BBC: "Oh yes, sure. A 13 point swing to Labour since the last election, it wouldn’t produce an enormous Labour majority but it would almost undoubtedly be enough to produce a Labour overall majority.

"But of course we should be very, very careful of simply taking the swings in by-elections and extrapolating through to general elections.

"I think the crucial point is if we compare this by-election performance with comparable previous by-elections it is consistent with the claim that A. Labour are in a stronger position than they have ever been in the last 12 years and B. that the performance is consistent with what happened the last time we had a parliament which ended in a defeat of a Conservative government."

07:13 AM

Tory by-election defeat 'similar to those suffered in run up to 1997'

The Tories' defeat in the City of Chester by-election is broadly in line with the kind of defeats the Conservative Party suffered in the run up to Labour's landslide general election victory in 1997, Professor Sir John Curtice has said.

The polling expert told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The other comparison we can make is with those kinds of by-elections in the parliament of 1992 to 1997 which of course is the parliament which eventually led to a Conservative defeat of fairly substantial proportions.

"The swing here in this constituency of 13 points is very much in line with the average swing in seats Labour were defending in that parliament. It was of the order of 12 per cent."

07:08 AM

Chester victory 'Labour's best performance since 2010'

Professor Sir John Curtice, the polling expert, said the City of Chester by-election victory is potentially Labour's best performance since the Tories took power in 2010.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Basically, with the possible exception of the Middlesbrough by-election of 2012, this is the best performance by Labour, the biggest swing from Conservative to Labour in any by-election since David Cameron first walked through the door of 10 Downing Street.

"That is one indication that Labour are in a stronger position than they have been at any previous point when they have been trying to challenge the Conservatives over the last dozen years."

06:56 AM

New Labour MP says Rishi Sunak 'on borrowed time'

Samantha Dixon, the new Labour MP for the City of Chester, used her victory speech in the early hours of this morning to claim that Rishi Sunak is "on borrowed time".

She said: "They [voters] have said unreservedly that Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives no longer have a mandate to govern. His Government has broken the promise that each generation should do better than the last.

"His Government has no ideas, no plan to address the big issues facing our country. His Government is on borrowed time and people want to change. It’s time for a general election and it’s time for a Labour Government.”

06:52 AM

Labour claims voters 'fed up of Tory rule'

Labour said its City of Chester by-election victory shows voters are "fed up of Tory rule" and now want a Labour government.

Alison McGovern, Labour's shadow work and pensions minister, said "The people of Chester have sent a clear message to Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Government: They are fed up of Tory rule and want the change Labour offers.

"After the Tories crashed our economy, it’s clear that only Labour can be trusted to help families across the country make ends meet.

"Sam will be an excellent MP for Chester and a strong voice for Chester residents in the Conservative cost-of-living crisis. The Tories have no mandate to govern. It's time for a Labour government."

06:46 AM

'They think it’s Labour’s turn now'

Samantha Dixon, Labour's new MP for the City of Chester, said she believes the by-election win shows voters believe it is now "Labour's turn" to run the country.

She said: "I think I have been in receipt of a very strong message from the voters of Chester that they want the Conservative cost-of-living crisis tackled immediately.

"I don’t think they believe that the Conservatives have the answers, I think they think it’s Labour’s turn now."

She added: "I think Chester is often described as a bellwether constituency and I think the voters have shown that they decisively trust Labour today."

06:43 AM

City of Chester by-election: Full results

Samantha Dixon (Labour) 17,309 (61.22%, +11.58%)

Liz Wardlaw (Conservative) 6,335 (22.40%, -15.93%)

Rob Herd (Liberal Democrat) 2,368 (8.37%, +1.53%)

Paul Bowers (Green) 787 (2.78%, +0.15%)

Jeanie Barton (Reform UK) 773 (2.73%)

Richard Hewison (Rejoin EU) 277 (0.98%)

Cain Griffiths (UK Independence Party) 179 (0.63%)

Howling Laud Hope (Official Monster Raving Loony Party) 156 (0.55%)

Chris Quartermaine (Freedom Alliance) 91 (0.32%)

Lab majority: 10,974 (38.81%)

13.76% swing from Conservative to Labour. Electorate 69,364; Turnout 28,275 (40.76%, -30.97%).

06:40 AM

Good morning

Good morning and welcome to today's politics live blog.

Labour has won the City of Chester by-election, holding onto the seat it has been in control of since 2015.

Sir Keir Starmer's party was always expected to retain the seat but the scale of the Tory defeat is likely to prompt alarm bells at Conservative Party HQ.

Labour won a majority of just over 6,000 at the 2019 general election but the result announced in the early hours of this morning showed the party had increased its majority to almost 11,000.

The result will prompt jubilation for Labour and likely some soul searching for the Tories. I will guide you through the key developments as Westminster reacts to the result.