The chairman of Britain’s ruling Conservative Party has resigned after the party suffered two by-election defeats, dealing a fresh blow to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s authority.
The Tories lost the Tiverton and Honiton constituency, a traditional Conservative stronghold, after a swing of almost 30 percent to the Liberal Democrats. And Wakefield, one of the so-called “red wall” seats won by the Tories in the 2019 general election, returned to Labour hands after a swing of 12.7 percent.
Resigning as party chairman, Oliver Dowden said the by-elections “are the latest in a run of very poor results for our party.”
In his resignation letter to Johnson, he wrote: “Our supporters are distressed and disappointed by recent events, and I share their feelings. We cannot carry on with business as usual. Somebody must take responsibility and I have concluded that, in these circumstances, it would not be right for me to remain in office.”…