Ulez isn’t the election gift Sunak wishes it was

Given everyone has won a prize in this round of by-elections, the three main party leaders have been feasting on their respective wins.

Rishi Sunak has arguably had the best day by holding one seat when his party had briefed it would lose all three. He has used the win in Uxbridge to say that the next election is still in play: ‘Westminster’s been acting like the next election is a done deal. The Labour party has been acting like it’s a done deal. The people of Uxbridge just told all of them that it’s not. No-one expected us to win here. But Steve’s [Tuckwell] victory demonstrates that, when confronted with the actual reality of the Labour party, when there’s an actual choice on a matter of substance at stake, people vote Conservative.’

Sunak had mentioned the strength of feeling in Uxbridge over the Ulez at the 1922 Committee meeting on Wednesday night.