The Prime Minister has insisted he will not undergo a “psychological transformation” as pressure piles on his leadership in the wake of the Tories’ double by-election defeat. Boris Johnson said he must “humbly and sincerely” accept any criticism he receives in his job, but he argued every Government gets “buffeted” by bad by-election results mid-term. The Prime Minister also told Sky News by-elections can allow people the “safety valve” of letting off at governments. But then the job of a leader is to say, well, what is the criticism that really matters here? In Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Simon Lightwood was elected with a majority of 4,925 on a swing of 12.7% from the Tories to Labour.

Source: The Times June 25, 2022 09:15 UTC