2025 Runcorn and Helsby by-election
1 May 2025
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Runcorn and Helsby constituency | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 46.2% (12.5 pp) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Boundary of Runcorn and Helsby in North West England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A by-election for the United Kingdom parliamentary constituency of Runcorn and Helsby was held on 1 May 2025, the same day as local elections in England. Following a recount, Sarah Pochin of Reform UK won the by-election with a majority of six votes, overturning a Labour majority of 14,696 votes in the last general election. It was the closest British post-war by-election result, and the closest result in a constituency since North East Fife in the 2017 general election.
The by-election was called after the resignation of the constituency's MP, Mike Amesbury, following a conviction for assault. On 24 February 2025, Amesbury was sentenced to ten weeks in prison for assault, which was reduced on appeal to a suspended sentence. This would have triggered a recall petition but Amesbury resigned his seat on 17 March 2025.