Labour have won the Tooting by-election, caused by the resignation of Sadiq Khan following his mayoral victory. Rosena Allin-Khan, a local doctor, has been elected with a majority of 6,357, and 55.9 per cent of the vote, an 8.7 per cent increase in vote share.
Allin-Khan had expected to become Labour’s 100th sitting woman MP, but instead will be the 99th following the killing of Jo Cox, the Labour MP for Batley and Spen, paid tribute to Cox, describing her as a “a proud and passionate campaigner who will be desperately missed” in lieu of the usual victory speech.
Turnout was 42.9 per cent, an unexpected high given the relatively low level of coverage and the sense, locally and nationally, that the result was a foregone conclusion following Allin-Khan’s selection.