Political loses should not distract us from the urgent work of booster roll outs, a Suffolk MP has said in the wake of the Lib Dem's North Shropshire by-election victory.
Helen Morgan beat Conservative candidate Neil Shastri-Hurst by 17,957 votes to 12,032, after Owen Paterson stepped down following a sleaze row.
James Cartlidge, MP for South Suffolk, said: "It’s obviously a very disappointing result and one we will need to reflect on, but it shouldn’t distract us from the urgent work of booster rollout and tackling Omicron.
"Ultimately, Government can be a difficult job but the PM made the correct big calls on the original vaccine program, and I know he will strain every sinew to get us boosted to the max."
While Lib Dem councillor for Southwold, Walberswick and Reydon, David Beavan, believes this result has sent a message to other Conservative MPs who believe they are in safe seats.
"Therese Coffey and Peter Aldous must be worried this morning as we overturned a larger majority than theirs," he said.
"OK, it's a by-election so we could all travel across the country to help, but our Local Liberal Democrat party is already gearing up for local elections in 2023.
"We have distributed 10,000 leaflets this autumn with 15,000 more at the printers. We work all year round.
"The party is over for Boris Johnson."
While the Prime Minister himself addressed the disappointing election result, ultimately attributing the blame to himself.
He said: "Clearly the vote in North Shropshire is a very disappointing result.
"I totally understand people’s frustrations, I hear what the voters are saying in North Shropshire. In all humility, I’ve got to accept that verdict.
"I understand that what voters want us as the government to be doing at all times is to focus on them and their priorities."
He added that he thought it was his job is to "get over" what the government is doing more effectively.
Though he refused to answer if now is the time for him to resign, instead saying he was focused on the vaccination programme.
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