(Joe Giddens/PA via AP) (Associated Press)LONDON — Britain’s governing Conservative Party Friday dealt a humiliating blow to the opposition Labour Party and its struggling leader Jeremy Corbyn by seizing a parliamentary seat in a special election. But some Labour legislators said the party is on a disastrous course ahead of the general election set for 2020. It was the first time since 1982 that a governing party gained a seat in a special election, and Labour’s defeat raises more questions about Corbyn’s ability to strongly lead the party into a general election. His party is far behind the Conservatives in the polls and many Labour figures in Parliament have criticized Corbyn’s performance. In a second special election, Labour held on to its seat in Stoke-on-Trent Central, beating back a challenge by the U.K.

Source: Washington Post February 24, 2017 07:20 UTC