06-05-2025
Mike Amesbury: Ex-Runcorn MP blames Labour mistakes for election losses
Ex-Runcorn MP blames Labour mistakes for election losses
Ex-Labour MP Mike Amesbury has blamed "big political mistakes" over benefit cuts by the government on a disastrous set of election results.
Labour lost 187 council seats as well as a by-election in his former seat of Runcorn and Helsby, where Reform overturned a 14,700 majority to win by just six votes.
The by-election was triggered when Amesbury resigned after receiving a 10-week prison sentence for assaulting a constituent, which was reduced to a suspended sentence after an appeal.
While taking responsibility for causing the by-election, Amesbury said Reform were "the beneficiaries" of government mistakes on cutting winter fuel payments and disability benefits.
