Another local defeat for Britain's ruling Conservatives as the general election approaches.

• Overnight, the Conservative Party led by Rishi Sunak in the U.K. experienced substantial losses in local elections.
• The upcoming votes may serve as the final significant political challenge for Sunak's party prior to a general election.
• Although the prime minister stated in January that his "working assumption" was that the vote would occur in the second half of this year, a specific date has not yet been established.

The Conservative Party, led by Rishi Sunak, experienced significant losses in local elections, indicating public sentiment ahead of the upcoming national vote.

The Labour Party won the Blackpool South by-election, taking the seat from the Conservatives. Chris Webb, the new Labour MP, defeated David Jones with a significant swing of 26%. The Reform UK party, founded by Nigel Farage, came in third.

The northern town's by-election was held following the suspension of former Conservative MP Scott Benton from the party after he was caught accepting money in exchange for lobbying on behalf of gambling investors.

Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, announced on social media platform X that the shift towards Labour in Blackpool South is a historic event.

"A general election is necessary, as Britain is calling for change," he stated.

Angela Richardson, Conservative Party's deputy chair, stated to the BBC that the outcome was predictable due to the circumstances leading to the by-election.

In local elections across England, Labour made significant gains, winning control of four councils and losing three to the Conservatives. Further council results are yet to be announced.

The upcoming vote is likely to be the last significant political challenge for Sunak's party before a general election. Although a date for the vote has not been set, it must occur before January 28, 2025. The prime minister stated in January that his "working assumption" was that it would take place in the second half of this year.

The Conservative Party has lost 11 by-elections since the 2019 general elections on Thursday.