The Conservative Party was crushed in two by-election defeats last night, and a new map detailing attitudes towards immigration in the UK could send Rishi Sunak spiralling even further.
Both Wellingborough and Kingswood fell to Labour last night, with the Prime Minister stating the circumstances surrounding the by-elections were “particularly challenging” for the Tories.
The issue of immigration was on the minds of many voters in Wellingborough. Speaking to GB News ahead of the vote, several claimed Sunak’s failure on both legal and illegal immigration was key to the shifting political sands in Wellingborough.
Many long-term Conservative voters admitted they were toying with the idea of voting for Labour or Reform UK, who they believed would better tackle the issue.
The new map, created by right-wing think tank Onward, has shown that the issue of illegal and legal immigration is prevalent among voters across the UK. It shows that nine in 10 constituencies want tougher controls on migration.
And the issue looks like it will only grow. The research has concluded that Conservative voters are growing more, not less, worried about immigration as time passes.
Between 2011 and 2020, Conservatives were consistently 20-30 percentage points more likely to cite immigration as a top issue than Labour voters.
Since 2020, that increase has only widened, growing to 50 points.
More to follow…