Two by-elections will take place next month to replace two Conservative MPs. Peter Bone, the MP for Wellingborough, was suspended from the Commons for six weeks after breaching the code of conduct for MPs in a sexual misconduct scandal. The government has confirmed that Chief Whip Simon Hart issued writs for the vacant seat. The by-election is set to take place on 15 February. Chris Skidmore, who resigned over the government’s energy plans, will also be replaced as MP for Kingswood.
Mr Skidmore formally resigned from Parliament after announcing last week that he was resigning the Conservative whip over the government’s plans to issue new oil and gas licences. The former MP for Kingswood near Bristol, stated that he had “no regrets” leaving Parliament as he has become increasingly at odds government policy on the environment over the past 18 months. Mr Skidmore took the seat from Labour in 2010 and secured an 11,000 vote majority in the 2019 general election.
Labour has already started campaigning in Mr Skidmore’s seat. The sitting Mayor of Lewisham, Damien Egan, who grew up in the constituency, is the party’s candidate. Mr Skidmore could be replaced as an independent candidate. However, this is unlikely as the Conservative Party has selected Mr Bone’s partner Helen Harrison as its candidate. Gen Kitchen will be standing for the Labour Party, and Ana Savage Gunn will represent the Lib Democrats.
Prime Minister Rishis Sunak has admitted that the by-election would be “difficult” for the Tories as Wellingborough’s 18,500 majority is smaller than those the Tories had in both Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire, which were both lost to Labour in by-elections last year. The Parliament’s behaviour watchdog found that Mr Bone had physically struck an aide and exposed himself to him. Mr Bone denies the allegations. Mr Bone was first elected for Wellingborough in 2005, and he grew his party’s share of the vote to an 18,500 majority in 2019
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