7 June 2019 | UK NEWS
Labour Party candidate Lisa Forbes has been sent to the House of Commons as an MP by a narrow margin of 683 votes following yesterday’s by-election in Peterborough. This is a close comparison to 2017’s narrow majority of 607 for Fiona Onasanya, who was recalled from Parliament and her constituency after a jail sentence and speeding fine.
The party saw off a strong performance from the Brexit Party, winning 10,484 (31%) votes to the latter’s 9,801 (29%). Initial reactions praised the Labour Party’s ground operation. Further coverage and analysis has been posted here.
Elsewhere on the political scene, the case brought against Boris Johnson by campaigner Marcus Ball, alleging that he deliberately lied about the £350 million pound figure for the NHS during the Leave campaign in 2016, has been thrown out by a High Court judge. Johnson’s lawyers had argued that the case was “vexatious”, being the outcome of a “politically-driven process”.
Mr Johnson has now seen off a potential worry for him in the Conservative Party leadership contest, which officially begins next week. It comes as Theresa May formally exchanged letters with the 1922 Committee today, giving effect to her promise two weeks ago to resign as Leader of the Conservative Party today. It is understood that no further pomp and ceremony was afforded to these proceedings. The 1922 Committee issued the following press release around 4pm:
Over in the newspapers, The Express carries a story today on the Republic of Ireland’s Finance Minister’s comments that his country will be the “second biggest losers” after Brexit.
The Independent reports that Jeremy Corbyn may face a fresh challenge to his leadership after MPs from across the Labour Party banded together to warn that the party cannot win power through populism.
