The Liberal Democrats have claimed victory in the by-elections in Somerton and Frome.
Sarah Dyke, a local councilor and Liberal Democrat candidate, claimed to have taken the Somerset seat from the Conservatives.
Around half of the ballot boxes had reached the Bath & West Showground when the Lib Dems declared victory.
A spokesman for the Liberal Democrats said: “We have not only won, we have come home. The conservative vote is in free fall.”
The by-election was sparked by the resignation of David Warburton amid allegations of sexual harassment and cocaine use. Warburton won a majority of 19,213 in the 2019 election.
Rishi Sunak is bracing for a possible triple whammy in the by-election after polls closed in races that will be seen as a test of his leadership.
The prime minister has acknowledged that holding seats, including Boris Johnson’s former constituency, will be a “tough battle” and Conservative allies have insisted the party’s focused race is next year’s general election.
For Labour, winning the Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat vacated by Johnson and the Selby and Ainsty constituency previously held by his ally Nigel Adams would be a big boost for Sir Keir Starmer.
