LONDON, July 21 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's governing Conservatives lost two strategically important parliamentary seats on Friday but unexpectedly retained Boris Johnson's old constituency in a setback for the main opposition Labour Party.
The Conservatives retained Johnson's former seat by fewer than 500 votes in a huge relief for Sunak who narrowly avoided becoming the first British leader to lose three by-elections on a single day in more than half a century ago.
Labour won the constituency of Selby and Ainsty from the Conservatives by 4,000 votes after an ally of Johnson resigned in solidarity.
The party said overturning the majority of 20,137 from the last general election marks the biggest majority the party has overturned at a by-election since World War Two.
The two main "political party leaders have been left with something to think about in the wake of these results", he said.
Persons:
Rishi Sunak's, Boris Johnson's, Sunak, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Steve Tuckwell, Johnson, John Curtice, Britain's, Curtice, Andrew MacAskill, Tom Hogue, Robert Birsel
Organizations:
British, Conservatives, Labour Party, Conservative Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Conservative, Thomson
Locations:
Uxbridge, South Ruislip, Downing, England, Selby, Ainsty, Somerton, Frome