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THE Conservatives have insisted that the Old Bexley and Sidcup by-election was a “good result,” despite the party’s majority in the traditionally blue seat taking a knock.
Tory Louie French became Britain’s newest MP following the poll on Thursday, which was triggered by the death of former Cabinet minister James Brokenshire.
Mr French took more than half the votes — 11,189 — in the contest, but a turnout of just 34 per cent meant the Conservatives’ majority was slashed from almost 19,000 to 4,478.
Labour candidate Daniel Francis secured 6,711 votes, seeing a 10 per cent swing to the party.
Shabana Mahmood, Labour’s national campaign co-ordinator, said Prime Minister Boris Johnson should be “worried” by the outcome.
She said that if the result was replicated in a general election, Labour would be “within touching distance” of a majority government.
Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden scoffed: “Keir Starmer couldn’t even be bothered to turn up to the by-election, so I am really not terribly worried about Labour.”
