‘We want him gone!’ Rishi Sunak braces for Wellingborough defeat as ex-Tory voters shun Conservative 'shambles' for Labour and Reform

GB News spoke to around a dozen voters in Wellingborough yesterday and not a single person declared outright support for Conservative candidate Helen Harrison.

An elderly couple, who both previously voted Conservative, told GB News: "We want Sunak gone.

"Everything in this country is going wrong. You look at NHS waiting times and just think Sunak should be sending flowers to everyone."

Wellingborough is lining itself up as an interesting by-election race between the Tories and Labour, with Reform UK potentially making its first breakthrough since rebranding from the Brexit Party.

Ex-MP Peter Bone, who was forced out following a recall petition over bullying and sexual assault allegations, had retained Wellingborough with an 18,540-vote majority in 2019.

However, 2019 Conservative voters were among those very keen to express their support for Reform UK candidate Ben Habib.

John Smith, 72, who claimed Sunak was "not worthy" of residing in No10, said: "Ben Habib is an independent thinker who listens and he’s the best choice we’ve got for change, to get a voice in Parliament."

Richard Tice’s party, which is hoping to make its first electoral breakthrough on February 15, positioned a stall in the heart of Wellingborough.

Several passers-by stopped to talk to activists and left with leaflets emblazoned with Habib’s face and commitments to address pressing issues, including illegal migration and economic growth.

Jamie Mossddale, 44, was clutching a Reform UK leaflet when he revealed he was switching from Tory to the populist party.

He told GB News: "The Conservatives, they need a kick up the a**e really.

"I'm voting Reform because everything's got to change now, I've had enough. Labour has done nothing. The Conservatives have done nothing."

Mossddale, who was scathing about Bone after accusing him of not tackling an incident he raised with him, added: "What's Peter Bone done for Wellingborough?"

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The issue of immigration was consistently raised by voters as a key reason behind their decision to switch to Reform UK.

Jackie Wilton, 58, who was previously a Tory voter, said: "Sunak's a weak Prime Minister and there is nobody who can take his place."

Mack Wilton, 76, added: "We think the Tories need to grow a backbone and start doing what the public want them to do which is stop illegal immigration."

However, the pair also cited issues with potholes and the NHS as key reasons for changing how they vote.

Harrison, who is also Bone’s girlfriend, now appears to be fighting an uphill battle to cling on to the seat.

Several voters even cited her close relationship with Bone as an electoral problem.

However, one voter revealed she was switching from Labour in 2019 to Reform UK.

Elena Hale, 73, who was a Labour voter, said Sunak's Government was a "shambles" but was also disappointed by Starmer.

Hale said: "I thought I might stay that way with Labour but I think it's going to be similar to the Conservatives. We definitely need change. We definitely need a new party."

Habib, who was previously elected as a Brexit Party MEP, stressed Reform UK is standing to win in Wellingborough.

He told GB News: "The challenge for an insurgent party is being known.

"I don’t think our political penetration in the election was as deep and as broad as it is now when we contested Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth. People really know who Reform UK are.

"The political sands are shifting at quite a rate. The polls are probably slightly behind the rate at which the political sands are shifting.

"I’m hoping for a good result. We’re polling nationally at 10 per cent so anything 10 per cent or higher would be a good result. The best result, and the result I am aiming for, is to win."

Wellingborough could prove fertile ground for Tice and Habib, with 64 per cent of voters backing Brexit in 2016.

More than 62 per cent of voters supported Bone in 2019 and Ukip previously leapfrogged Labour into second place in 2015 after receiving 19.6 per cent of ballots.

Despite fighting talk from Habib, Reform UK has so far failed to leave its mark on the British electoral landscape in by-elections contested since the 2019 general election.

Tice’s party averaged just 2.85 per cent of the vote in 16 contests, only exceeding five per cent in Old Bexley & Sidcup and Tamworth.

Ukip performed notably better ahead of the 2015 general election, winning Clacton and Rochester & Strood following two defections.

Nigel Farage fell agonisingly short of securing another by-election victory in Heywood & Middleton but managed to finish in second place in all four other contests between 2013 and polling day.

The Brexit Party also performed markedly better in the two by-elections held in 2019, receiving 28.9 per cent of the vote in Peterborough and 10.5 per cent of the vote in Brecon & Radnorshire.

However, Labour candidate Genevieve Kitchen also looks likely to make inroads as voters switch to Sir Keir Starmer’s party.

Elaine Blower, 68, said: "I’m toying with Labour this time because the country is in a dump.

"Everything is going wrong, from immigration to the NHS, it’s just dire, isn’t it?"

Blower, who voiced concern about Harrison’s candidacy given her connection with Bone, was also scathing about Sunak’s Tories.

She added: "I don’t like to be rude, I am sure he is a very nice man, but I just think the Tories have had their day and it’s time for change."

Larry Pride, 42, expressed his desire for a Labour victory next Thursday.

He said: "I'm hoping the Tories get a bloody good hiding."

Pride, who was no fan of Reform UK, went on to suggest Habib would likely let Labour in by snatching votes away from the Conservative Party.

Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins claimed Labour could "spring a shock" in Wellingborough.

Perkins, who is leading Labour's campaign, told GB News: "People are definitely disaffected with Conservatives locally and nationally in Wellingborough.

"That creates a real opportunity for us and that's why we have been taking the campaign very seriously from the start."

He added: "This isn't a mid-term protest vote. This is people making serious decisions. But we are conscious that this is not a seat that is on the list that Labour has to win in order to win the general election.

"This is one of those seats where it would give Labour a big majority. It's been Tory for 18 years now but we are hopeful we've got a real possibility of winning."

Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey was also in town campaigning for Kitchen.

He said: "In Wellingborough of all places they're fed up. They're fed up and let down."

Victory for Kitchen next Thursday would end an 18-year period of Wellingborough voters being represented by a Conservative MP in the House of Commons.

Despite a clear shift away from the Tories, some voters were not willing to express support for another party and instead vowed not to vote.

Bob Newgum, 71, said: "I’m not voting. All that happens is someone cocks it up and then the others get in.

"They promise everything with their manifestos and pledges but it doesn’t get done."

A 27-year-old woman added: "There’s no choice around here. What's the point?

"My vote won’t make a difference and they’re all the same anyway."

However, some voters stressed the need to read through what each campaign was promising before deciding how to vote.

John Dyer, 75, who described himself as a swing voter who backed Brexit in 2016, said: "I haven’t made my mind up yet and I’ll assess at the leaflets to make up my mind."

He added: "This election is mainly about voting for a local MP. Whoever wins this election will not have that long in Parliament before the next general election.

"How they do their job, how they’re perceived by members of the public, will make a difference to how you vote in the next general election."

"I want someone who is genuine, who can make a difference to people’s everyday lives. You can’t fix everything overnight but we need someone who genuinely tries and sticks at it."

Despite Labour and Reform campaign headquarters buzzing with energy, Wellingborough’s bleak-looking Tory association contained just three activists who did not want to provide comment on the state of the race.

GB News' request to interview Harrison was also declined.

Harrison is supposedly shunning the media in favour of connecting with voters as she highlights her local record, slams Kitchen for supporting a second referendum and accuses Reform UK of inadvertently letting Labour in by splitting the right-wing vote.

However, just three out of the dozen residents who spoke to GB News confirmed interacting with Tory activists in the build-up to February 15.

Tory MPs also appear to have given up on the campaign, with visits limited to those covering neighbouring constituencies and former Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Other candidates standing in the Wellingborough by-election include Ana Gunn for the Liberal Democrats, Will Morris for the Green Party, Nick The Flying Brick for the Monster Raving Loony Party, Alex Merola from Britain First, and independent candidates Ankit Love Jay Mala, Andre Pyne-Bailey, Marion Turner-Hawes and Kev Watts.