By-election news - live: PM loses backing of more Tory MPs after disastrous defeats

James Johnson, former pollster at No 10, said “there is only one person to blame for the Wakefield result”.

The polling expert said the main reason that swing voters in west Yorkshire chose Labour was “Boris Johnson tried to cover up partygate, and lied to the public”.

Former England and Manchester United footballer Gary Neville said the Tories were on the “brink of collapse.”

“This is what a failing organisation looks like. The problem is they’re running our country. OliverDowden going is a big one. He knows it’s a sinking ship,” Neville wrote on Twitter.

Boris Johnson has thanked Oliver Dowden after he resigned as Tory party co-chairman.

Speaking to broadcasters in Kigali, the prime minister: “It's absolutely true we've had some tough by-election results, they've been, I think, a reflection of a lot of things, but we've got to recognise voters are going through a tough time at the moment.

“I think, as a government, I've got to listen to what people are saying, in particular to the difficulties people are facing over the cost of living, which, I think, for most people is the number one issue.

“We're now facing pressures on the cost of living, we're seeing spikes in fuel prices, energy costs, food costs - that's hitting people.

“We've got to recognise there is more we've got to do and we certainly will, we will keep going, addressing the concerns of people until we get through this patch.”

Gavin Barwell, former No 10 chief of staff under Theresa May, said the results should show the Conservatives it is “time to wake up before it is too late”.

“Finally someone in the cabinet says ‘Enough is enough’,” he tweeted on Mr Dowden’s exit. “These by-elections - particularly Tiverton – show the Conservative Party is sleepwalking to defeat at the next election.”

Traditionally it was African heads of state that suddenly lost power at home while off globetrotting to international conferences.

Boris Johnson, currently in Rwanda to avoid his own MPs, seems set to turn convention that on its head.

A coup d’etat feels a little more likely now than it did even a few days ago. Unusually, the party chairman Oliver Dowden, previously shamefully loyal to Johnson, has quit in disgust (arguably before he was scapegoated and fired).

Read the full Voices piece from Sean O’Grady:

Conservative MP Simon Hoare described former party chairman Oliver Dowden described his resignation nation as “an honourable letter from an honourable man.”

Writing on Twitter the North Dorset MP added: “OliverDowden is not to blame for these results. Since 2015 I have always been proud to call Oliver a friend. Never more so than today.”

Conservative MP, Sir Roger Gale who has called for Boris Johnson to step down said: “Oliver Dowden is a decent and honourable man who has clearly decided that he can no longer defend the indefensible.”

Oliver Dowden has resigned as chairman of the Conservative Party after it suffered two by-election defeats, saying in a letter to prime minister Boris Johnson that “someone must take responsibility”.

Mr Dowden said in his letter to the PM the by-elections “are the latest in a run of very poor results for our party”.

“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.”

The MP ended his letter by saying: “I want to emphasise that this is a deeply personal decision that I have taken alone.

“I will, as always, remain loyal to the Conservative Party.”

Adam Forrest reports:

Former No 10 adviser Tim Montgomerie, creator of the Conservative Home website, said the result in Tiverton was “massive”, adding: “This is a crisis for the Conservative party.”

He told Sky News: “Voters are reacting to the character of the prime minister. They are rejecting the character of the prime minister. And if the Conservative doesn’t act soon… the whole Conservative party will be judged. We cannot let this situation continue.”

Tory party chairman Oliver Dowden has submitted his letter of resignation after the Conservative’s double by-election loss.

Read the report here:

New Wakefield MP Simon Lightwood declared that “the next Labour government has been born in this room tonight”.

In his speech after being announced the winner of the West Yorkshire by-election, he said: “Tonight, the people of Wakefield have spoken on behalf of the British people. They have said unreservedly: ‘Boris Johnson, your contempt for this country is no longer tolerated’.

“It’s not acceptable that a quarter of our children in Wakefield live in poverty, it’s not acceptable that hundreds of people leave A&E every month without being treated because of record NHS waiting times, and it’s not acceptable that convictions for crimes like robbery have fallen by almost half in the past five years.

“People in Wakefield and across the country are sick of the deceit and dishonesty of this government.”

Boris Johnson’s Conservatives suffered a historic double defeat on Friday morning as voters turned against them in both the Tiverton and Honiton and Wakefield by-elections.

The Liberal Democrats swept to victory in Devon, as Richard Foord overcame a Tory majority of 24,239 votes – the largest ever overturned at a by-election.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said it was the “biggest by-election victory our country has ever seen”, adding that the result should be a “wake-up call” to Tory MPs about Mr Johnson’s leadership.

Labour’s Simon Robert Lightwood won in Wakefield after winning the west Yorkshire seat by almost 5,000 votes, overturning a smaller Conservative lead of 3,358 votes.

Read the details in this joint report by Holly Bancroft and Adam Forrest :