Kingswood by-election results: Meet new Labour MP Damien Egan

Labour’s candidate Damien Egan has won a significant victory in the Kingswood parliamentary by-election, dislodging the Conservatives after the resignation of former Tory MP Chris Skidmore.

Labour saw a 16% swing, when it would only need a 12.7% swing nationally to win an overall majority.

Shadow minister Peter Kyle told Sky News Kingswood was “not even on our target list” for the general election, and suggested the lower swing than in Labour’s other victory of the night in Wellingborough reflected it being a shorter campaign with less time to promote Labour’s message.

The Tories had won with a 11,220-vote majority at the general election in 2019 in the seat, which will be scrapped as part of a boundary review at the next election.

Labour’s Damien Egan hugs his husband Yossi Felberbaum after being declared MP for Kingswood.

📸PA pic.twitter.com/ogcUQ85yQa

— Steph Spyro (@StephSpyro) February 16, 2024

Egan told the BBC the area had felt “neglected” by the Tories, but Labour ran a “positive campaign”. Voters worry about getting doctors’ appointments, safety on the street and what food they put in the trolley or how they heating their homes this winter, he said.

Egan told LabourList in an interview during the campaign the party had a “mountain to climb” to take Kingswood, but voters raised their concerns about the NHS, jobs, and energy costs.

Egan has already been picked Labour’s candidate for the new seat Bristol North East, which will incorporate part of Kingswood.

Conservative MP Chris Skidmore had stood down in protest at his own party’s stance on new oil and gas licences. He had represented the seat in parliament since 2010. The Mirror reports the victory means the Tories have now suffered more by-election losses in a single parliament than any government since the 1960s.

Who is new MP Damien Egan?

Kingswood parliamentary by-election, result:

LAB: 44.9% (+11.5)
CON: 34.9% (-21.3)
REF: 10.4% (+10.4)
GRN: 5.8% (+3.4)
LDEM: 3.5% (-3.5)
UKIP: 0.5% (+0.5)

Votes cast: 24,879

— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) February 16, 2024

Egan was born in Cork in Ireland, but went to school in Kingswood and has family locally.

A biography provided by Labour says that while growing up, Egan lived in temporary accommodation when he and his mother were made homeless. This experience “led him into politics and he became a parish councillor in Downend when he was 21”.

Until the campaign, Egan was serving as the mayor of Lewisham, a London borough. He faced opposition attacks over it and even over his accent, but has previously said: “I’m from Kingswood and lived in Fishponds and Staple Hill. Whilst work drew me towards London, my family’s here and my heart has never left.”

His website also said how in Lewisham he has “turned our schools around, built council homes, created award winning parks and led on climate action, becoming the first sanctuary borough for refugees”.

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