Controversial Tory candidate walks out of counting hall after losing byelection

The Tory candidate for the Tamworth byelection walked out of the counting hall after winning candidate Sarah Edwards began her victory speech.

Andrew Cooper, who this week faced criticism over an old explicit food bank post telling struggling parents to "f*** off", appeared to be quite a sore loser indeed as he left the room by going out the fire escape when Labour's Edwards started speaking.

It is no wonder Cooper was disappointed. Edwards received 11,719 votes ahead of him, making a 23.89 per cent swing to Keir Starmer’s party.

Meanwhile, in her victory speech, Edwards said the voters of Tamworth had “sent a clear message to Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives that they have had enough of this failed government, which has crashed the economy and destroyed our public services.

“The people of Tamworth have made it clear. It’s time for change.”

And speaking to ITV, she said by not sticking around, Cooper, who also arrived late to the results reveal, had shown his "true colours".

The byelection was called when Chris Pincher, a former deputy chief whip, quit the House of Commons in September after losing an appeal against an eight-week suspension from parliament for groping two men at a private members’ club last summer.

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