Chester by-elections: Labour win expected in first voting test for Sunak

Voters in the affluent northwestern English city of Chester have been voting today in the first by-election test for new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. 

Chester, famed for its Roman walls and as a haven for Premier League footballers playing for teams in nearby Manchester and Liverpool, is widely expected to remain a Labour seat. 

The by-election was triggered after the resignation of Labour MP Chris Matheson in October, following allegations of ‘serious sexual misconduct’. 

The elections mark the first test for the Conservative party under new Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. 

But many expect that months of political turmoil in the Tory party, which culminated in sharp drops in the value of the pound and the resignation of Liz Truss as PM in October, will be reflected in the votes of constituents. 

Labour, who have held control of the city since 2015 under Matheson, are expected to retain the seat under new candidate Samantha Dixon. 

In the last general election held in December 2019, Matheson won the seat with an 11.3 per cent majority. 

A total of nine candidates have put themselves forward to stand as the new MP for Chester. 

Polls opened this morning at 7 am (GMT) and will close later this evening at 22:00. 

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