London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jun 21, 2025

Labour hold City of Chester seat in Rishi Sunak's first electoral test

Labour hold City of Chester seat in Rishi Sunak's first electoral test

Labour has won the City of Chester by-election, retaining the seat and delivering a defeat for Rishi Sunak in his first electoral test as PM.

Samantha Dixon has become the constituency's new MP with a majority of 10,974 votes.

Her party secured more than 61% of the vote with a 13.76% swing from the Conservatives.

The contest was triggered by the resignation of Christian Matheson.

The Labour MP quit after Parliament's watchdog recommended he be suspended for "serious sexual misconduct".

Mr Matheson admitted he had committed a minor breach of the code and tendered his resignation with "great sadness".

Labour was fully expected to retain the seat, which it won in 2019 by a majority of 6,164.

In that election, the Conservatives came second, winning 38.3% of the vote. Labour secured 49.6% and the Liberal Democrats came third with 6.8% of the vote.

This time round, Ms Dixon won with 61.2% of the vote, defeating Tory candidate and NHS nurse Liz Wardlaw.

Election officials earlier confirmed that turnout was 41.2%, with a total of 28,541 votes cast in the December poll.

In a speech following the result, Ms Dixon said people in Chester "have said unreservedly that Rishi Sunak's Conservatives no longer have a mandate to govern."

She added: "I don't think they believe that the Conservatives have the answers, I think they think it's Labour's turn now."

The Conservatives have performed badly in recent by-elections, losing Wakefield to Labour and the historically safe Tory seat of Tiverton and Honiton to the Liberal Democrats.

Those losses increased political pressure on Boris Johnson, who later resigned as prime minister.

Thursday's by-election was the first to take place since Mr Johnson quit and his successor Liz Truss caused market turbulence with her mini-Budget.

During her campaign, Ms Dixon pledged to stop raw sewage being dumped into the River Dee.

Conservative Liz Wardlaw had promised to fight for funding for the Countess of Chester Hospital and improved rail connections to London, Manchester and North Wales.


Results in full:


* Samantha Dixon (Labour) 17,309 (61.22%, +11.58%)

* Liz Wardlaw (Conservative) 6,335 (22.40%, -15.93%)

* Rob Herd (Liberal Democrat) 2,368 (8.37%, +1.53%)

* Paul Bowers (Green) 787 (2.78%, +0.15%)

* Jeanie Barton (Reform UK) 773 (2.73%)

* Richard Hewison (Rejoin EU) 277 (0.98%)

* Cain Griffiths (UK Independence Party) 179 (0.63%)

* Howling Laud Hope (Official Monster Raving Loony Party) 156 (0.55%)

* Chris Quartermaine (Freedom Alliance) 91 (0.32%)


Party officials overseeing counting for the City of Chester by-election


Before the by-election, Samantha Dixon outlined her priorities for Chester



Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
×